Walker taunts Hokit after UFC title contender skips him in heavyweight callout spree

Valter Walker has publicly challenged Josh Hokit after the undefeated UFC heavyweight contender pointedly left him out of a recent round of callouts, with the Brazilian insisting Hokit’s silence is a sign of fear rather than oversight.

Hokit (10-0) has built a growing profile inside the UFC by leaning into a villain persona, delivering a string of rants while claiming to be possessed by an alter ego he calls “The Incredible Hok.” His targets have included light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall and featherweight champion Ilia Topuria — but Walker’s name was conspicuously absent from the list.

Walker noticed. The Brazilian took to X to suggest the omission was deliberate, arguing that Hokit would be unable to hold his own in a war of words.

“There’s no my name in there, u know why?” Walker wrote. “Because he wouldn’t be able to stand listening to me at a press conference or anywhere else, cause that character would go straight to f*cking hell when I start. U are real cute, taco boy.”

Hokit’s rise has been rapid. He has finished three of his four UFC victories and is now scheduled to challenge Ciryl Gane (14-2) for the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 334 on 14 November at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Walker (16-1), meanwhile, has been building his own momentum. Since suffering his only professional loss on his UFC debut in 2024, he has reeled off five consecutive finishes, all via leg-based submissions — a run that has established him as one of the more dangerous heavyweights outside the title picture.

Whether Walker’s public call-out translates into a future booking remains to be seen, but his pointed message ensures the rivalry — one-sided or otherwise — now has a public record.