Heavyweight prospect Josh Hokit recently explained his decision to leave the PFL organization after competing just once since their merger with Bellator. Despite being seen as a promising talent, Hokit opted to move on.
Hokit stated that the promotion “kind of made it easy” for him. He explained that after contract renegotiations occurred across the roster, his new offer was for significantly less money than his previous deal. Coupled with fighting only twice over two years despite his desire for much more activity, he felt staying wasn`t worthwhile.
He saw leaving, even if it meant a pay cut initially, as the optimal move for his career, prioritizing activity above all else at this stage.
Hokit (4-0) has certainly found that activity, already competing as many times in 2025 in LFA as he did throughout his entire PFL and Bellator tenure combined. The undefeated heavyweight is scheduled for his third fight of 2025 this Friday against Eric Lunsford at LFA 208.
The undefeated fighter revealed the contract difference with PFL was substantial, around $20,000 less, which factored heavily into his decision, though he suggests he might have left anyway.
Hokit felt the reduced pay wasn`t worth it, especially at a point in his career where gaining experience is crucial. He mentioned a belief that PFL might have quickly put him in challenging situations, like a tournament, for less money. Therefore, he preferred to seek opportunities elsewhere to gain more experience and climb the ranks gradually, viewing it as a better situation for his development.
He indicated that in the early stages of the merger, PFL seemed interested in keeping him, but his contract was nearing its end after only two fights in a year and a half. Hokit also explored the possibility of fighting in other organizations for experience while still being with PFL, which the promotion seemed open to. However, the overall situation with PFL and the Bellator integration ultimately turned him off.
Hokit articulated his ultimate goal, stating, “I’m not fighting to be PFL champion. I’m fighting to be UFC champion.” He emphasized that his primary aspiration is to compete in the UFC.
Before transitioning to MMA, Hokit was a decorated college athlete in both football and wrestling. He even had brief stints as an undrafted free agent with the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals before his football career concluded.
The 27-year-old has achieved impressive early success in mixed martial arts. Hokit strongly believes his upcoming LFA fight on Friday has a high probability of being his final bout outside of the TKO/UFC organizational structure.
Hokit shared that he has already signed a contract for Dana White`s Contender Series scheduled for August. He views his current LFA fight primarily as an opportunity to gain additional experience, recognizing the high level of readiness and global experience possessed by fighters entering the UFC pathway today.
He noted that the heavyweight division differs somewhat from lower weight classes, describing it as less deep and perhaps not possessing the same technical skill level as divisions like featherweight (145 pounds).
Based on his skillset, Hokit is confident he can compete with and ultimately defeat fighters in the heavyweight division. With his record potentially moving to 5-0 after the LFA fight, he feels he is ready for the Contender Series and whatever opportunities follow, although he acknowledges that more fights are always beneficial.
