UFC CEO Dana White had nothing but good things to say about Josh Hokit after UFC 334.
Hokit suffered the first loss of his career against heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane, dropping a unanimous decision in Saturday's main event at Madison Square Garden in New York.
But Hokit pushed Gane to the brink in one of the wildest fights of the year, setting a ridiculous pace and overwhelming Gane with pressure throughout the bout.
"He turned it into a street fight," White said during the postfight press conference. "From the second the bell rang in the first round, Hokit turned that into a street fight. He didn't win, but he fought the perfect fight. What other way could he possibly fight Ciryl Gane then the way that he did?
"After the first round, I was like, 'Holy shit, if (Hokit) can keep this pace for five rounds, Gane's in big trouble.' Too big, carries too much muscle. ... But actually, Gane looked his best in the fourth and fifth rounds."
Hokit has been in the promotion for just over a year and has experienced a rapid rise in the heavyweight division. The 29-year-old made his debut last November and went 4-0 to begin his stint, including a Fight of the Year candidate against Curtis Blaydes in April and a TKO of Derrick Lewis at the White House in June.
Hokit has become one of the UFC's most popular fighters because of his WWE-style persona and penchant for trash talk. White has said that he isn't a fan of Hokit's antics.
But even White is ready to admit that Hokit is one of the best heavyweights in the world after his losing effort against Gane.
"Hokit's first five-round main event, and it went five hard, crazy rounds," White said. "The guy's got an unbelievable chin, unstoppable cardio, and I give him nothing but respect for the fight that he fought tonight. It was incredible."
White added: "There's no doubt that Hokit's stock goes up. Even with me, I thought this guy was a big mouth goofball and I hated his shtick and the whole thing. I respect the shit out of that guy. He's the real deal."
