Dana White Says "Everything" Josh Hokit Does "Crosses the Line" Following Bruce Buffer Incident
Dana White was not happy with the fact that Josh Hokit flipped off Bruce Buffer at UFC 334, calling out Hokit for crossing the line on previous occasions as well.
Josh Hokit came into UFC 334 promising to shake up the heavyweight division, and while he didn't leave Madison Square Garden with the belt, he certainly left Dana White shaking his head.
Before dropping a competitive unanimous decision to UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane on Saturday night, Hokit made headlines during fighter introductions by flipping his middle finger directly in the face of longtime Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer. The gesture was a petty payback after Buffer publicly criticized Hokit's lack of class following his controversial remarks about Michelle Obama at the UFC Freedom 250 White House card in June.
Speaking at the UFC 334 post-fight press conference, White didn't hold back when asked if the 29-year-old challenger went too far.
"Yeah, it was pretty crazy, yeah," White said. "I think that threw Buffer off a lot. Nobody has flipped Buffer off before. Did it cross the line? Everything that guy does crosses a line."
"Look at what he said on the White House lawn, in a fight that's about America's 250th birthday that's supposed to be for everybody," White said. "I'd rather have him flip Bruce Buffer off every single fight than say that shit."
Bad Blood Spills Into New York
The gesture in New York wasn't random. Buffer was the one who called Hokit out for his controversial comments at UFC Freedom 250, urging the heavyweight to "show some class" during a recent livestream, which is why Hokit flipped him off, though White was not happy regardless.
Hokit's antics didn't stop once the cage door closed, either. He flashed middle fingers at Gane during the third round of their five-round slugfest, which saw Hokit suffer his first professional loss (10-1) via a 48-47 unanimous decision across all three scorecards.
Even in defeat, Hokit made Gane work for every second. According to official UFC stats, Hokit landed 146 of 283 significant strikes (51 percent accuracy) and scored three takedowns with 4 minutes, 37 seconds of control time, earning both fighters a $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus. Still, as White made clear, Hokit's talent inside the cage continues to be overshadowed by his mouth outside of it.
