Waldo Cortes-Acosta Admits Josh Hokit's Positive Impact on the UFC Heavyweight Division Despite His Personal Distaste

Waldo Cortes-Acosta should be focusing on Johnny Walker right now, as their UFC Vegas 124 heavyweight main event is less than a day away. However, Cortes-Acosta's recent comments made it clear that Josh Hokit has already gotten under his skin with his trash talk.

The Dominican Republic clarified his distaste for Hokit's brashness, but also appreciated 'The Incredible Hok' for his contribution to the UFC heavyweight division.

Josh Hokit's Trash Talking Has Made Waldo Cortes-Acosta a Bigger Fan of Heavyweight Fights

The hype of the UFC heavyweight division dropped significantly after Jon Jones declared retirement without fighting Tom Aspinall. The next undisputed title fight between Aspinall and Ciryl Gane ended in a 'no contest,' causing the anticipation regarding heavyweight fights to plummet even further.

In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Cortes-Acosta admitted that Hokit's unfiltered trash talk has earned his fights a lot of eyeballs, helping the UFC heavyweight division recover from its miserable state. He appreciated 'The Incredible Hok' for making him more of a "fan" of the division than he was earlier.

"Right now, I’m a fan more than that because I didn’t like it before; before him talking shit about everybody, about everything else and everything," said Cortes-Acosta. "I don’t like it too much, personally, but at the same time, too, it makes for more exciting fights. Makes more talk in the social media for the heavyweight division."

Hokit hasn't locked his radar on Cortes-Acosta yet, but the Dominican Republic native clarified that he expects to face the American in the future. After stating that he isn't a fan of Hokit's unfiltered trash talk and prefers a more "reserved" version of it, Cortes-Acosta revealed how he wants to leave Hokit unable to run his mouth once he faces him inside the octagon.

He said, "I’m no fan of him. I’m the person I want one day, meeting him or being in the ring and take it out: whole teeth, whole mouth; the whole fuc*ing dirty mouth he has."

#UFCVegas124's Waldo Cortes-Acosta aims to take all of Josh Hokit’s teeth in future fight: "I want one day, meeting him or being in the ring and take it out—whole teeth, whole mouth, the whole f*cking dirty mouth he has." (🎥: @mikeHeck_JR) https://t.co/AMHylGPZGG

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) November 6, 2026

Given that Hokit is already scheduled to fight for heavyweight gold at UFC 334, a victory against Walker at UFC Vegas 124 is looking indispensable for Cortes-Acosta to inch closer to his desired stand-off. The Dominican Republic native may not be a fan of Hokit's trash talk, but taking a few lines from 'The Incredible Hok's' book can help him forge an exciting callout during his in-octagon interview, making it impossible for the American to ignore him.