Hokit targets Aspinall's offensive style as a weakness after UFC Freedom 250 win

Josh Hokit, riding a 4-0 UFC record after defeating Derrick Lewis, has taken aim at heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall’s fighting style, posting on X that Aspinall’s offensive mindset is simultaneously his greatest strength and a critical vulnerability.

Reacting to footage of Aspinall’s 2022 bout against Alexander Volkov in London, Hokit wrote: “He’s to [sic] offensive minded.. that makes things exciting until a proper athlete is able to compete with his athleticism.. his strength is also his weakness.”

The comment is the latest in a series of public provocations from Hokit toward the heavyweight division’s top names. He has previously called on the UFC to release Aspinall from the roster, arguing that Ciryl Gane effectively made the champion “quit” when the two met last year. Hokit has also repeatedly clashed with light heavyweight and crossover attraction Alex Pereira at press conferences and fighter hotels, campaigning openly for a matchup with him.

Hokit’s path to a title shot, however, appears blocked in the near term. Aspinall is expected to face interim champion Gane in a unification bout, a fight that would sideline Hokit’s ambitions for the belt regardless of the outcome.

Since his win at UFC Freedom 250, Hokit has become one of the division’s most recognisable figures, a 10-0 professional record underpinning a public persona built on confrontation and outspoken self-promotion. Whether his tactical critique of Aspinall translates into a meaningful title opportunity will depend largely on how the heavyweight picture reshapes itself after the anticipated Aspinall-Gane clash.