From contender to king: Chael Sonnen predicts Josh Hokit will top the UFC Heavyweights in 2026

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

‘The Bad Guy’ sees Josh Hokit making his way to the top of MMA’s biggest stage.

UFC 327 marked a breakout moment for ‘The Incredible Hok’, who pushed his perfect Octagon record to 3-0 while living up to the hype he’d built before the fight.

Hokit outlasted Curtis Blaydes in a three-round scrap that put him into the top five and into title contention, continuing an impressive rise for the All-American and former footballer.

Hokit still has a few steps left before reaching title shot territory, but Sonnen believes he’ll be there before the end of 2026.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Chael Sonnen tips Josh Hokit to dethrone Tom Aspinall this year

Before the event, Hokit was still unranked, with wins over just Max Gimenis and Denzel Freeman inside the UFC. The Miami card marked a clear step up in quality for him.

The division’s recent struggles have left fans looking for new faces to step up, and Hokit’s latest performance has put his name firmly in that conversation.

“At the end of 2026, Josh Hokit will be the UFC heavyweight champion,” Sonnen said during a Q&A session on his YouTube channel.

“Now, how do we get there? It is very unclear right now if Tom (Aspinall) is going to fight or not. I am a Tom supporter; I only know what I am told.

“Tom is now paying Eddie Hearn for his advice… Eddie’s advice, publicly to Tom, is don’t fight,” he continued. “That is a tremendous problem.

“What is Tom going to do? If I’m putting the belt, by the end of the year, around Hokit, I understand that Tom holds it and Alex Pereira is gonna have the first crack at that.

“It’s an interesting spot for how do we even get the matches done. If we do, in fact, get the matches done, ‘Hokster’ is going to be the heavyweight champion.”