Alex Pereira Rage Baits Josh Hokit During Heated UFC 334 Pre-Fight Presser
Alex Pereira was in the front row for the UFC 334 press conference, and he took the opportunity to rage-bait Josh Hokit using his phone.
Fight week in New York already had plenty of juice, and Alex Pereira just poured gasoline on the fire without saying a single word.
During Thursday’s UFC 334 pre-fight press conference at Madison Square Garden, the former two-division champion sat in the front row and spent his afternoon rage-baiting Josh Hokit. As captured on video by Nina Drama, Pereira typed an offensive slur onto his phone screen and held it up toward the stage. That subtle jab immediately got under Hokit’s skin, prompting Pereira to flash a middle finger right at the undefeated contender.
Forced to respond on the microphone, Hokit fired back in typical unfiltered fashion, flipping off the Brazilian and yelling, "I'm gonna chama on your mama." Pereira barely flinched. Instead, "Poatan" stood up from his front-row seat with his arms stretched wide, soaking in the cheers as the New York crowd erupted in his favor.
Eyeing the Heavyweight Throne
It’s no surprise seeing Pereira front row at the presser. While he was officially in the building to support teammate Yousri Belgaroui, Saturday’s main event carries massive stakes for his own career. Pereira will be looking to fight the winner of this matchup, preferably reigning heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane, who stopped Pereira in their June encounter at UFC Freedom 250. Regardless of who walks out with the belt on Saturday night, Pereira has only one goal: fighting for the heavyweight title.
If Hokit (10-0) wants to play spoiler and ruin those rematch plans, he will have to pull off the biggest win of his rapid ascent. Just 16 months removed from earning his UFC contract, the 29-year-old former Division I wrestler has torn through the division, stacking up victories over veterans Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis while landing an absurd 9.29 significant strikes per minute at 64% accuracy.
Standing across from him, however, is Gane (14-2, 1 NC), a seasoned technical striker making his first undisputed title defense. Whether Hokit backs up his trash talk or Gane retains, Pereira has already made it crystal clear he wants next.
