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Josh Hokit of the UFC

UFC heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov praised Josh Hokit for his “impressive” fight against Curtis Blaydes last month at UFC 327.

The No. 2-ranked heavyweight Volkov returns to the Octagon this Saturday when he battles No. 4-ranked Waldo Cortes-Acosta in a pivotal heavyweight bout between two of the division’s best fighters. With champion Tom Aspinall finally returning to training after being out since last October due to an eye injury, the heavyweight division is finally beginning to move along again.

Alexander Volkov Praises Josh Hokit

One of the best heavyweight fights this year was Josh Hokit against Curtis Blaydes. The two went toe-to-toe for 15 minutes at UFC 327 last month in what many are calling the “Fight of the Year,” and potentially a bout that could be placed into the UFC Hall of Fame fight wing one day.

Speaking to reporters ahead of UFC 328, Volkov was asked what his thoughts were on Hokit’s fight with Blaydes, and the veteran Russian offered nothing but praise for the two combatants.

“This fight was very impressive. It’s what people like to see, like when big guys just beat each other in the face for all three rounds, lots of blood, and show some things. It was a pretty great fight,” Volkov said.

While Volkov loved the fight, he does wonder how much damage Hokit can take in his career if he continues to fight as he did against Blaydes, where he didn’t show much in regards to defense.

“But for me, the question is how many fights like that can Josh Hokit have in his career? It took a lot of health and took a lot of mental power as well. Because every time you come to the Octagon and take that much damage, it breaks you a little bit every time. It’s not easy. It doesn’t matter how he acts. I believe he feels pain, and I don’t think any person likes pain, if you’re not sick, of course. This is a little bit hard to have this fight and go to the Octagon again and again, and you get some damage. It was a good performance, but it will be interesting to see if he can do it again and again,” Volkov said.

Alexander Volkov Returns at UFC 328 Against Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Volkov last fought at UFC 321 last October, when he won by split decision over Jailton Almeida. He now returns to the Octagon after nearly eight months away to take on Cortes-Acosta, who has fought three times during the period that Volkov last stepped foot inside the Octagon.

For Volkov, this is a massive fight for him if he wants to remain one of the heavyweight division’s top contenders and, potentially, earn a rematch against Aspinall, who submitted him in 2022. In June, Alex Pereira takes on Ciryl Gane for the UFC interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250, with the winner presumably facing Aspinall later this year to unify the belts. But the winner of Volkov vs. Cortes-Acosta will be right behind them, making this a vital fight in the careers of both men.