Dominick Cruz outlines how Josh Hokit operates like Floyd Mayweather Jr. to fuel his MMA and UFC rise

Josh Hokit's rise to prominence in the sport of MMA, particularly since joining the UFC organization last year, is said to be masterful by some and reprehensible by others. 

A number of fans and experts have pointed out that he's a master at self-promotion, as he's gone from being a UFC newcomer in 2025 to becoming a title contender here in 2026.

On the contrary, many have asserted that his penchant for stoking controversy with certain remarks -- deemed discriminatory and incendiary by more than a few people -- is what has propelled him to the top. Ergo, they argue that although his rise may have gotten him to the door of a title shot, it's also resulted in his being perceived as a bigoted and disrespectful individual. 

Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz recently chimed in on Hokit's rise and likened it to that of legendary pugilist Floyd Mayweather Jr. back when "Money" Mayweather was an active competitor in the sport of professional boxing. 

Dominick Cruz outlines how UFC heavyweight Josh Hokit harnesses power from his detractors

In a recent edition of his podcast, Love & War with Dominick Cruz, UFC Hall of Famer Dominick Cruz hosted UFC lightweight Steve Garcia, who happens to be Josh Hokit's training partner. 

A Jackson Wink MMA Academy pupil, Garcia addressed his KO loss against Diego Lopes at UFC Freedom 250 in June. He also alluded to his teammate Hokit's TKO victory against Derrick Lewis on the same card. It marked Garcia and Hokit's most recent Octagon appearances, respectively. 

Cruz and Garcia also indicated that Hokit has managed to establish himself as a polarizing persona within and outside the confines of the combat sports sphere. His remarks regarding former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and other contentious comments have sparked outrage in the broader pop culture realm in the United States of America and beyond. 

Cruz dissected Hokit's strategy and suggested that the people who are publicly condemning him are inadvertently aiding his brand value as a celebrity, albeit via infamy rather than positive publicity. "The Dominator" stated: 

"Once you have an opinion about somebody, then you give them your power... That person that says you're giving him a platform is giving him a platform by having an opinion." 

He added, "So the more you hate him, that's what he's beating these people at. He's taking their power, holding it in his hands, and going, 'Haha...'" 

MMA great Dominick Cruz draws a comparison between UFC star Josh Hokit and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. over using hate

A key point emphasized by Dominick Cruz was that Josh Hokit was putting a considerable amount of pressure on himself by directing trash talk at various people and making controversial comments on a myriad of sensitive subjects. 

Steve Garcia, on his part, indicated that the real Hokit is nothing like the oft-criticized rude public persona he portrays in front of the cameras. Garcia clarified that he likes Hokit but wouldn't want to use his strategy to rise, as he values his integrity more than money and fame. 

For context, "The Incredible Hok" has himself made allusions that he's playing an outlandish character to hype up his fights and accrue lucrative opportunities for himself and his team. 

Garcia underlined that he can't embark on the same path as Hokit has, as he's answerable to his wife and son, the latter of whom idolizes him and could be adversely affected by seeing him act like "a fool." 

Furthermore, Garcia implied that he's taking the humble and harder approach to the top, while Hokit has opted for a brash and easier route. However, Cruz discussed the other side of the coin -- noting that Hokit views his outspoken path as the harder one because it entails a lot of pressure with many critics and scrutiny. 

Cruz underscored that Hokit's opposers, who deem him a racist and criticize him for various reasons, are elevating him to the top of the algorithms online. Pointing out that they could impede his rise by simply ignoring him, he explained: 

"Their hate is fueling his platform. And it's crazy to watch. Because the people who hate him are the ones that are moving him up the fastest -- when if they just let him be human and ignored him, never said one word, never commented, never had an opinion about it, he wouldn't rise."

Likening Hokit to Floyd Mayweather Jr., who was also known for his brash public persona and polarizing remarks during his athletic prime, Cruz continued, "I mean, Mayweather used to do that, too. He made everybody hate him. That's almost how he talked, right? A lot of people did that." 

Currently, Josh Hokit is counted among the best heavyweights in the UFC and has expressed interest in fighting former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira, whom he's been feuding with.

The 28-year-old American has also been demanding a UFC heavyweight title shot. Regardless, the upcoming title clash is expected to feature reigning champion Tom Aspinall defending his throne against interim champion Ciryl Gane in a title unifier later this year. 

Watch Dominick Cruz and Steve Garcia discuss Josh Hokit's swift ascent as a public personality below (*comments at the 40:28-minute mark of the video):