Hokit def. Blaydes
Dec
Blaydes vs Hokit — Heavyweight Bout · UFC 327
What happened
Josh Hokit out-dueled former heavyweight title challenger Curtis Blaydes in a Fight-of-the-Year contender, answering Blaydes' response to his early surge and trading at a pace unusual even for modern heavyweights. The two combined for 351 significant strikes — a UFC three-round heavyweight record — and Hokit's output carried the decision.
- The bout set a new heavyweight pace; their combined 351 significant strikes set a UFC three-round record.
- Both men earned Fight of the Night, and Hokit's volume kept him ahead to move to 9-0.
- 29–28
- 29–28
- 29–28
Watch
The full fight.
More videos · 2 clips
Signature moments
Signature moments
Who Called It?
How the analysts' picks held up once the cage door closed.
Caller scorecard: The MMA Guru missed; We Want Picks missed; Bedtime MMA missed; Lucas Tracy missed; TheWeasle called it; HopperoMMA called it.
Only 2 of 6 called the upset.
The experts above are a lens, not credentials we conferred — analyst, fighter or betting desk.
Full analyst picks ↓
TheWeasle Analyst called 25 of 37 TheWeasle: predicted Hokit · KO/TKO · R3. Actual Hokit · Dec. Result: Hit.
Hokit's athleticism and speed cancel Blaydes's wrestling for a third-round TKO.
Track record: winner called in 25 of 37 resolved picks, 9 a perfect call.
HopperoMMA Analyst called 20 of 33 HopperoMMA: predicted Hokit · KO/TKO · R1. Actual Hokit · Dec. Result: Hit.
Blaydes is on the downfall and Hokit is a nasty matchup; a first-round TKO.
Track record: winner called in 20 of 33 resolved picks, 8 a perfect call.
The MMA Guru Analyst called 25 of 36 The MMA Guru: predicted Blaydes · KO/TKO. Actual Hokit · Dec. Result: Miss.
Blaydes is too composed and experienced; he weathers the pressure and finishes.
Track record: winner called in 25 of 36 resolved picks, 13 a perfect call.
We Want Picks Betting desk called 22 of 37 We Want Picks: predicted Blaydes · to win. Actual Hokit · Dec. Result: Miss.
No frame of reference for Hokit's level of competition; Blaydes's experience takes over late.
Track record: winner called in 22 of 37 resolved picks.
Bedtime MMA Analyst called 36 of 58 Bedtime MMA: predicted Blaydes · to win. Actual Hokit · Dec. Result: Miss.
Hokit is too much too soon; Blaydes stuffs the takedowns and wins.
Track record: winner called in 36 of 58 resolved picks, 18 a perfect call.
Lucas Tracy Analyst called 20 of 31 Lucas Tracy: predicted Blaydes · KO/TKO · R1. Actual Hokit · Dec. Result: Miss.
Hokit can't take Blaydes down and it's too big a step up; a first-round KO.
Track record: winner called in 20 of 31 resolved picks, 8 a perfect call.
Archive
Pre-fight material — kept for transparency, folded by default.
Tale of the Tape
Records & career stats — as they entered fight night
- 4.18 9.29
- 54% 48%
- 2.76 5.28
- 35% 77%
- 68% 89%
- 19-5-0
- Record
- 9-0-0
- 2-3 last 5
- Recent formRecent formWin–loss record over the fighter’s last five bouts, newest first, as carried in their UFC/FightMetric career stats.
- 5-0 last 5
- Orthodox
- StanceStanceWhich side a fighter leads from — a striking term, not a religious one. Orthodox: right-handed, left foot and hand forward (the common default). Southpaw: the mirror image, right side forward (usually a left-hander). Switch: changes between the two during a fight.
- Orthodox
- —
- Avg. fight timeAvg. timeAverage fight timeThe mean length of the fighter’s bouts (minutes:seconds) — a rough read on whether they tend to finish early or go the distance. From UFC/FightMetric.
- 6:45
- United States
- Nationality
- USA
- Elevation Fight Team · Denver, CO
- Team
- Jackson Wink MMA · Albuquerque
Career stats per UFC.com; recent form is each fighter's last five bouts. Numbers reflect records coming into fight night. Bars compare each stat on a fixed scale; the “Edge” marker flags the leading corner where the gap is meaningful. The snapshot plots five career rates — output, striking defense, durability (strikes absorbed, inverted), takedown defense and finish rate — each normalised on its own scale.
Pre-fight analysis — how we saw it going in
Case for Blaydes
Blaydes had the established heavyweight credentials: proven wrestling, veteran physicality and the experience of fighting elite power punchers. Against a young pace fighter, his clearest route was to turn early chaos into clinches and takedowns, then make Hokit carry weight.
Case for Hokit
Hokit entered unbeaten with a wrestling base, rare heavyweight tempo and the confidence to weaponize pace. His question was whether his pressure could survive Blaydes' veteran wrestling and whether he could keep throwing once the first wild exchanges passed.
What We Were Watching For
- Can Blaydes slow Hokit with wrestling before the pace snowballs?
- Does Hokit's output hold up after a frantic first round?
- Which heavyweight handles damage better in an extended firefight?
Fighters
Reader thread
Reader takes
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