“I’d Knock Him Out Too”: Johnny Walker Claims Josh Hokit Would Be an Easy Fight for Him

A day after scoring a stunning knockout victory over No. 8-ranked Waldo Cortes-Acosta, Walker took a jab at current heavyweight title challenger Josh Hokit.

The former light heavyweight contender moved up to heavyweight in October and has since gone 2-0 in the division. Now, Walker wants to climb the rankings quickly and is eyeing a potential matchup against Hokit.

Johnny Walker Mocks Josh Hokit

Josh Hokit is scheduled to face Ciryl Gane on 14 November for the heavyweight title at UFC 334, which is set to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York. If Hokit loses, Walker believes a matchup between them could happen in February or March 2027.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Walker acknowledged that Hokit has a decent wrestling game but believes he has an advantage over the heavyweight contender in striking and jiu-jitsu.

“I think Hokit has good wrestling, but his jiu-jitsu probably isn’t that good. And his striking isn’t crazy either. So I think that would be an excellent fight for me. He’s also light. He’s not that big,” Walker said.

“If he takes me down, I’ve got plenty of jiu-jitsu. I’ll sweep him; I’d catch him on the ground. And if he wants to stand and trade, I’d knock him out too. It’s going to be a tough fight for him,” he added. 

Walker Wants to Serve as Back-Up for Gane vs. Hokit

Johnny Walker went nearly two rounds against Waldo Cortes-Acosta before stopping him at the 2:27 mark of the third round.

Although Walker absorbed several punches during the fight and came away with a swollen face, he still believes he can make a quick turnaround and serve as the backup fighter for the heavyweight title bout at UFC 336 next week.

In the same interview, Walker said, “If someone drops out of the title fight next week or gets injured, they can put me in there too. If they need someone to step in, I’m here.”