Veteran heavyweight Curtis Blaydes shared his breakdown for the UFC Freedom 250 bout between Josh Hokit and Derrick Lewis.
If there’s anyone to ask about how Hokit vs. Lewis plays out, it’s Blaydes. After all, he’s the only man who has fought them inside the Octagon.
Against Lewis in 2021, Blaydes was brutally knocked out when “The Black Beast” caught him on the jaw with a nasty uppercut in what was a big upset at the time.
Then, against Hokit at UFC 327 two months ago, Blaydes lost a unanimous decision to Hokit in what is the frontrunner for the 2026 UFC Fight of the Year so far.
So, if anyone’s opinion matters about this upcoming Hokit vs. Lewis bout, it’s Blaydes, since he has shared blood and sweat with both of these giant men inside the Octagon.
Curtis Bladyes Analyzes Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis
Speaking to MMAFighting.com’s Damon Martin ahead of the UFC White House card, Blaydes broke down how he thinks the Hokit vs. Lewis fight will play out.
For Blaydes, he is worried that the amount of damage that Hokit took in their war just two months ago could potentially come back to haunt him in this fight since Lewis hits hard. But he also worries that Lewis will once again look unmotivated, just as he did against Waldo Cortes-Acosta, when he suffered a knockout defeat in January at UFC 324.
“Hokit entering (this fight), his jaw is not going to be 100%. That’s scary going against a guy like Derrick Lewis but then again, the Derrick Lewis that we just saw against Waldo, he looks like the motivation is gone. If you get a Derrick Lewis that doesn’t really care and just allows you to take him down at will, he can win like that,” Blaydes said.
“But if he gets a motivated Derrick Lewis that comes in hunting the big, heavy knockout … I’m going back and forth because we don’t know the version of Derrick Lewis that we’re going to get. If we get the version that I had to fight, I’d go with Derrick. But if we get the one that showed up against Waldo, I go Hokit.”
Betting Odds for Hokit vs. Lewis
Entering this Sunday’s big UFC Freedom 250 card, Hokit is a gigantic -500 favorite, while Lewis is a +375 underdog. Money keeps coming in on Hokit, so he could be an even bigger favorite by the time the fight rolls around.
If Hokit chooses to fight smart and use his wrestling against Lewis, who has a terrible 52% takedown defense, this would be a very easy matchup for him to win. But if Hokit chooses to stand and bang with his foe, then it is going to be a harder fight because it essentially becomes a coin flip of who lands first.
It’s going to be a great fight, and Sunday can’t come soon enough. With UFC president Dana White upping the bonuses for this special event, look for Hokit and Lewis to both put on the best performances of their entire MMA careers on the White House lawn.
Curtis Blaydes Breaks Down Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis