Curtis Blaydes and Josh Hokit meet on the UFC 327 main card Saturday at Kaseya Center in Miami. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Last event’s results: 6-0
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UFC main cards, 2026: 29-16
Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit UFC 327 preview
Blaydes (19-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) will look to keep the momentum going with a more definitive result after a split decision nod over Rizvan Kuniev last June. In the fight prior, Blaydes competed for the interim heavyweight title, but couldn’t get past Tom Aspinall. “Razor” has traded wins and losses over his last four, as he’s struggled to put more than one win together. His last streak of wins came in 2021-2022, where he won three straight.
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Hokit (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has arrived on the scene, ruffling feathers with his over-the-top character play. He gets a huge step up in competition in just his third UFC bout. So far, so good for the ex-NFL player, who has won both of his UFC fights against Max Gimenis and Denzel Freeman by first-round stoppage.
Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit UFC 327 expert pick, prediction
Filling out the main card on Paramount+ is a strange heavyweight showdown between Curtis Blaydes and Josh Hokit.
I try my best to ignore outside of the octagon activities that could potentially cloud an honest view at breaking down a fight, but boy has Hokit made that hard this week. That said, as an analyst, I’ve been high on Hokit’s potential ceiling since covering him on the regional scene over in LFA.
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Hokit may be small for the division, but he carries similar attributes that many of the great undersized heavyweights of MMA have had as far as his athleticism and wrestling go. Hokit may have a long way to go before he can start to be mentioned with names like Daniel Cormier or Fedor Emelianenko, but the 28-year-old may end up surprising many if he can keep his head on straight.
Still, there’s no denying that Blaydes is a big step up in competition for Hokit.
I’m a big fan of Blaydes both as a fighter and a person, but he’s also had a career that’s been a bit frustrating to follow. From internal politics giving him tough assignments to injuries possibly limiting his game, it almost feels like we’re still waiting for Blaydes to break through.
And though he has all the skills to win this fight, I suspect that Hokit’s speed and pace could be problematic for Blaydes if he’s not able to control the exchanges early. I also have some concerns about the state of Blaydes’ chin and his level of health coming into this fight.
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I hope I’m wrong, but the official pick is for Hokit to put a pace on Blaydes and force a stoppage via strikes in Round 2.
Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit UFC 327 odds
The oddsmakers and the public slightly favor the more tenured fighter, listing Blaydes -130 and Hokit +106 via FanDuel.
Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit UFC 327 start time, how to watch
Blaydes and Hokit are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:10 p.m. ET. The fight streams live on Paramount+.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 327: Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit prediction, pick, time
