Heavyweight contender Cortes-Acosta has finally opened up about his tense encounter with Josh Hokit after the UFC rising star crossed the line with personal comments aimed at his family.
Hokit has quickly become one of the UFC’s loudest personalities, backing up his trash talk with explosive performances inside the Octagon. But earlier this year, the heavyweight prospect stirred controversy when he labeled Waldo Cortes-Acosta a “deadbeat father” during a fiery callout following UFC 324.
Although Hokit later attempted to walk back the comments on social media, the damage had already been done.
Speaking ahead of UFC 328, Cortes-Acosta revealed exactly what happened when he finally came face-to-face with Hokit at the UFC Apex.
“He didn’t just talk about me,” Cortes-Acosta said. “He talked about my family, my kids, everything. I don’t know what kind of character he was trying to play when he said all that.”
According to Cortes-Acosta, emotions boiled over the moment they crossed paths during training sessions in Las Vegas.
“I saw him at the Apex and confronted him,” Cortes-Acosta explained. “I looked him in the face and told him, ‘You better get ready because one day you and I are going to fight.’”
The heavyweight contender then revealed that Hokit’s energy changed quickly once the cameras were gone.
“Later, we saw each other again near the elevator, and he started apologizing,” Cortes-Acosta said. “He told me, ‘I was only trying to sell the fight and make headlines.’”
That explanation didn’t sit well with the Dominican heavyweight.
“I told him, ‘You’re an idiot. You’re a coward,’” Cortes-Acosta said. “If you really meant it, then say it on camera in front of my wife, because she was standing right there too.”
Despite the bad blood, Cortes-Acosta admitted that a future showdown with Hokit could still happen, especially after Hokit’s breakout win over Curtis Blaydes pushed him into the heavyweight rankings.
“If he keeps talking and keeps winning fights like he did against Blaydes, then why not?” Cortes-Acosta said.
For now, Cortes-Acosta remains focused on the biggest fight of his career against Alexander Volkov at UFC 328. A win could move him one step closer to title contention in a heavyweight division that suddenly feels wide open.
Meanwhile, Hokit is preparing for another massive opportunity of his own when he faces Derrick Lewis on the upcoming UFC White House card.
Still, even with both men focused on separate opponents, it’s clear the tension between Hokit and Cortes-Acosta hasn’t gone away. And if both heavyweights continue climbing the rankings, their collision may only be a matter of time.
