Alex Pereira doubts Josh Hokit's UFC future after trash talk

Alex Pereira doubts Josh Hokit will stick around the UFC long enough for their anticipated clash to materialize.

Both fighters compete at UFC White House on Sunday, where Pereira challenges Ciryl Gane for an interim heavyweight title while Hokit tries to keep his unbeaten record intact against Derrick Lewis. Hokit has spent recent weeks needling the former two-division champion, culminating in a press conference dustup that required security intervention and drew lightweight champion Ilia Topuria into the fray.

Pereira questions Hokit's standing with UFC brass

Speaking through a Portuguese translator Wednesday, Pereira indicated he may have heard rumblings about Hokit's status with the promotion. "I've just heard a thing or two — I don't even know if he's going to be a part of this organization going forward," Pereira said, per MMA Fighting. "He's going to fight, but I don't know, I've heard some things here or there, maybe not even worth talking about because I don't even know if he's going to be there." He criticized Hokit's approach to promotion as inappropriate for the sport's broad audience, which includes families and children.

Hokit remains confident the matchup will happen regardless. "It's inevitable," he told reporters earlier in the week. "We're going to fight one day. I know he knows it." He followed with a string of insults directed at Pereira that included references to cosmetic surgery and violent imagery.

Pereira said he tries not to think about Hokit at all and only addressed the situation because reporters kept asking. The interim heavyweight title fight airs Sunday as part of the outdoor White House card.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Alex Pereira questions ‘disrespectful’ Josh Hokit’s future in UFC; Hokit calls clash ‘inevitable’