WASHINGTON – Josh Hokit gave it a shot, but perhaps standup comedy is not for him.
It’s a good thing Hokit (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) gave his “Kill Tony” set a dry-run Wednesday ahead of UFC Freedom 250, because he would’ve been roasted into oblivion if that performance was on the actual YouTube show.
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“This is why I don’t do standup comedy, dude,” Hokit said mid-set, which took place at a news conference in front of MMA Junkie and other reporters. “I’m bombing right now, dog.”
Bombing is actually Hokit’s goal – but for Sunday, not Wednesday. He faces Derrick Lewis at the White House. The bout was a late addition and came at the specific request of President Trump.
Perhaps his best joke landed when he turned into character mid-answer, describing what he plans to do to Lewis (29-13 MMA, 20-11 UFC) in the cage.
“This is the opportunity that presented itself,” Hokit said. “Derrick Lewis, I’m going to have him kidnapped by a group of mimes. The things they will do to him will be unspeakable.”
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But those jokes apparently weren’t made by Josh Hokit. They were made by his altered egos. Thus far there are three: “Down Vato,” “The Incredible Hok,” and “Scared Josh.” It’s unclear if more are coming.
More: The real Josh Hokit speaks before UFC Freedom 250
Hokit hasn’t really delved into the origins of the characters, even somewhat being in-character when he’s out-of-character, alleging the characters are actually part of him. But on Wednesday, he explained “Down Vato,” a character supposed to be a stereotyped cholo-esque figure.
“Believe it or not, it is me. I’m from an area where there is a lot of cholo-type of guys,” Hokit said. “I used to mess around with that voice. When I played football, we used to have a little locker room gang, I guess you could say. Our running back room at Fresno State, we were the ‘Vatos Locos.’ We would run up on the tight ends or the linebackers or anybody that wanted it, fool. Anybody that wanted it, we ran up on them.”
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Hokit has, however, turned down the characters ahead of the White House event, claiming his manager advised him to be more like himself. Whether, in actuality, the pivot is due to the event’s association with the White House remains to be seen. But for now, it seems Hokit is going to keep the in-character and out-of-character answers in rotation.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC White House: Josh Hokit bombs ‘Kill Tony’ standup routine
