Dricus du Plessis says Josh Hokit may be hurting his own rise after the heavyweight’s post-fight comment at UFC Freedom 250, even as he admits the unbeaten contender changed his view with a sharp performance against Derrick Lewis. Du Plessis made the remarks during a June 22 appearance on “Fight Forecast,” where he also looked ahead to his July 18 middleweight bout with former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in Oklahoma City.
Dricus du Plessis says Josh Hokit was “trying to be funny” and failed after UFC Freedom 250
Du Plessis did not defend Hokit’s line about Michelle Obama. He said the comment was off-topic and poorly judged, adding, “I think right now he is getting in his own way by saying something stupid like that. Freedom of speech is one thing, but it was irrelevant. It was not the room for that. It was not a topic people were even discussing. Read the room.”
He then framed it as a failed attempt at humor rather than a serious point, saying, “It was such a random joke to try and make, and it did not land at all. I think it was a mistake. He is new in the game and that is how people learn. If you say something and stand by it, fine. But that was clearly him trying to be funny, and it did not work. I think that comment is going to cost him.”
Hokit stayed unbeaten at UFC Freedom 250 with a second-round TKO over Derrick Lewis on the White House card, then drew backlash for shouting, “Michelle Obama is a man,” during his post-fight interview. The result pushed him to 10-0, and the win itself added to what has become one of the stranger early runs in the UFC heavyweight division.
What interested Du Plessis more, at least from a fight angle, was how complete Hokit looked once the cage door closed. He said, “What I do think is that he is a much better fighter than I first thought. With the Curtis Blaydes fight, we knew he could wrestle. He is a top-level wrestler.” That point lines up with Hokit’s recent run, where wrestling had already stood out before the Lewis matchup gave him a fresh chance to show more range.
Du Plessis was especially taken by the way Hokit handled Lewis on the feet after establishing the grappling threat. He said, “But the striking against Derrick Lewis really impressed me. Derrick Lewis is dangerous. He has the most knockouts in UFC heavyweight history.” He continued by explaining that he expected Hokit to return to takedowns in round two, but instead watched him win exchanges with “calculated shots,” praising his use of “volume, footwork, speed, and agility” rather than trying to match bigger heavyweights with pure force.
That split, strong fighter and clumsy microphone act, is what defines Du Plessis’ take. He said the gimmick is drifting into awkward territory: “I have not really seen anything like this before. Maybe in WWE, but it is bordering on weird. It is getting to the point where, when he has the mic, I do not want to watch. It is too intense. The antics are too much.” He added that Hokit seems to be pushing for a Colby Covington-style villain role, but “he is trying too hard. Turn it down a notch.”
The former middleweight champion is now booked to face Usman in the main event of UFC Fight Night 281 on July 18 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.