Curtis Blaydes credits Josh Hokit’s ‘balls’ for big UFC 327 win: ‘He’s no bum’

MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 10: (L-R) Opponents Curtis Blaydes and Josh Hokit face off during the UFC 327 ceremonial weigh-in at Kaseya Center on April 10, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)

If you were to ask any fan going into UFC 327 which bout would earn Fight of the Night honors, few would suggest Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit. But Blaydes and Hokit did indeed earn that bonus, along with talk of Fight of the Year honors.

Their 15 minute war was a classic heavyweight slobberknocker that saw both men pushed to their limits as they continued to unload big shots on each other until the final bell. Hokit walked away with the 29-28×3 win and $200,000 in bonuses. Blaydes also got a bonus … along with a shattered nose and broken orbital. But he also earned a lot more respect and interest from fans, which resulted in an interview with TMZ Sports.

“Early on, I was on pain meds,” Blaydes said of his injuries. “I was on Percocet because I have the orbital and the broken nose, but I haven’t had any of those a day, so I still feel good. And if you watched the fight, I I know everybody did, he didn’t hit me anywhere else besides the face. So my legs are good. My arms are good. Everything else is good.”

“He broke the nose on that early overhand in the first round, that’s where all the blood came from. I think that was the biggest deciding factor for the judges, all the blood I was bleeding. And that was just because I’m a bleeder. This nose has been broken a few times now.”

“I was surprised,” he said of the decision. “I was expecting [the ref] to pick my hand up. I really, really was. That’s why when they gave us the judgment, I was a little bit in shock. I was like, ‘Dang. I thought thought I did enough.'”