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UFC 327 turned out to be the most memorable card of the Paramount era so far. The light heavyweight title fight between Carlos Ulberg and Jiri Prochazka will never be forgotten, and fighters will argue for generations why there is no mercy in the cage until the final bell rings. Additionally, Cub Swanson managed to pull off the most excellent retirement fight in history. However, the man who managed to steal the show was the man who was the talk of the town leading up to the event: Josh Hokit.
Hokit didn’t make any friends before the show. Trying to take a page from the professional wrestling playbook, he has been using trash words and rhymes to get attention. While the tactic has been successful, it hasn’t done much to develop a fan base. Unlike when Chael Sonnen started this approach nearly two decades ago, Hokit doesn’t let everyone in on the joke. The brilliance and charisma that Sonnen exhibited has been missing from the undefeated heavyweight.
Hokit’s strategy is no different than that of Colby Covington, a once quiet welterweight whose intense fighting style had him on the chopping block about a decade ago. When told that he would likely be released at the end of his contract even if he managed to win, Covington became extremely unpleasant and antagonistic toward his opponents. At first, no one cared about Covington’s stunt, as did Hokit. However, as Covington became more successful, his fan base grew to the point where he became one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s biggest draws.
Everyone is noticing Hokit’s emulation of Covington. What hasn’t been mentioned much has been the success of those engaging in the incessant war of words. I have no doubt that Hokit has engaged in disgraceful verbal attacks in the hopes of drawing attention to himself. What I don’t know is if he intended that to be part of his success as well. It’s no coincidence that the biggest trash talkers in the sport also tend to be some of the most successful fighters. It takes a high level of confidence to be willing to talk trash in a sport like MMA. Even if it’s fake, the best way to gain confidence is to practice it. It’s not just about gaining confidence either. It’s a way to get into your opponent’s head.
Following the model of Conor McGregor
The best example of how to defeat opponents before they even enter the cage is Conor McGregor. The witty Irishman launched a barrage of words at each of his opponents before their bouts, driving them into such a frenzy that they were often defeated before the first blow was thrown. For example, José Aldo is one of the most defensively aware fighters in the history of the sport. He was so eager to get his hands on McGregor that he abandoned his typical strategy and behavior and was then knocked out in just 13 seconds. There’s no way Aldo loses like that if McGregor’s verbal attack is more like the typical opponent he’s faced before.
That comparison is not intended to compare Hokit to McGregor. Hokit is unlikely to come close to that level of fame or success. However, McGregor’s victory over Aldo is the best example of the effects that trash talk can have on a fight. To say they have no effect would be ridiculous. Watch Hokit’s fight with Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327. Blaydes came very close to finishing Hokit towards the end of the first round. Hokit’s response after moving away from Blaydes’ heavy bombardment was to annoy the Elevation Fight Team representative. That had to be demoralizing for Blaydes. Hokit survived and managed to show the maximum level of defiance. I’d be surprised if Blaydes hadn’t asked himself, “What do I have to do to put this guy away?”
Suppose that didn’t demoralize Blaydes. Say it made him angry. Is fighting in anger generally a smart thing to do? There have been times where provoking an opponent is the last thing a fighter should have done, but more often than not it results in a favorable outcome. Hokit’s “character” isn’t just about getting attention. It also legitimately contributes to your success.
It should be noted that it doesn’t have to be the traditional form of trash talk either. For example, Kevin Holland is known for talking to his opponent during fights. Fighting is serious. You enter the cage knowing full well that you might wake up staring at the ceiling with your body broken and beaten. It is not something that should be taken lightly. Imagine that, while trying to hurt your opponent, you find yourself wondering if you want to play basketball later. “Wait, did I just hear that? I’m trying to rip this guy’s head off and he wants to host a basketball game later?” Getting out of a fighting mood for just a split second can be devastating.
The more established a fighter becomes, the less effective his “antics” become. The opposition is less likely to be taken by surprise, since at that point the genie is already out of the bottle. Opponents know what to expect. That does not mean that it loses all effectiveness. Nate Diaz managed to make Michael Johnson very uneasy with his trash talk despite his well-established notoriety for talking during fights. Plus, at that point, trash talk is so ingrained in a wrestler that trying to remove it would likely do more damage to their psyche.
I understand why many wrestlers don’t engage in a high level of quackery. It’s embarrassing enough having your ass handed to you when you haven’t talked much. Eating your words is an even more bitter pill to swallow. However, if that type of conversation is an important part of your personality or if you find that you can do it without compromising your thinking or your preparation skills, any coach would do well to encourage it. I’m sure it’s not easy to corner someone like Hokit and stay silent about the things that come out of his mouth, but it’s not an ancillary part of the package. It is comprehensive. Telling Hokit to shut up would be like telling Islam Makhachev that he doesn’t know how to fight. It is one of the least used aspects of the sport.