sa国际传媒官网网页入口

Will the real Josh Hokit please stand up? That鈥檚 been a question unanswered thus far in the sa国际传媒官网网页入口-based MMA heavyweight鈥檚 brief and chaotic career.

鈥淪tand up,鈥� of course, has more than one meaning.

In MMA, Hokit鈥檚 sport of the moment 鈥� he was a football linebacker/fullback and an All-America wrestler at Fresno State 鈥� Hokit鈥檚 stand-up game proved decisive in the sensational April 11 victory over Curtis Blaydes that got him a spot on Sunday鈥檚 UFC Freedom 250 card at the White House.

The punches he took from Blaydes and those he landed in return, through three brutal rounds, resulted in a fight that already has approached legendary status.

But is Hokit, who trains at sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 Jackson-Wink MMA, a standup guy? Is he worthy of admiration for who he is as a person and not just for his ability to take punishment and inflict it in the cage?

Maybe that guy is in there somewhere. But when will we see him, and should anyone care?

On Friday, during the final news conference staged at the Lincoln Memorial in advance of the UFC鈥檚 Freedom 250 on the White House South Lawn, Hokit 鈥� who鈥檚 matched against Houston veteran Derrick Lewis 鈥� was the picture of humility.

At first, and no, not really. Both Hokit personas, Josh and The Incredible Hoke, were in attendance.

He鈥檇 have us believe they talk to each other in his head.

First, Hokit, wearing a floppy hat, apologized for his behavior at the initial Freedom 250 news conference last month. On that occasion, his abusive, disruptive shtick prompted his removal from the dais before the session concluded.

鈥淎lex gained some weight and now he thinks he鈥檚 King Kong,鈥� Hokit shouted, referring to Alex Pereira, who鈥檚 moving up to heavyweight to fight Ciryl Gane on Sunday. Hokit isn鈥檛 fighting Pereira and hadn鈥檛 been asked a question that had anything to do him.

Hokit followed with crude, personal and borderline obscene remarks that eventually prompted Pereira to rise from his chair in anger. Hokit was ejected shortly thereafter.

Then, after his arrival in Washington D.C. for fight week, a seemingly chastened Hokit said during in a one-on-one interview that his manager had told him to take interviews more seriously.

鈥淗ere I am, trying to do that,鈥� he said softly. 鈥淗e鈥檚 given me some medication. The voices are a little bit more quiet so I could be normal for you guys.鈥�

Friday, was he still on his meds? Hard to say.

After his 鈥渁pology,鈥� he proceeded to repeatedly interrupt 鈥� analyzing other men鈥檚 fights as if he were a commentator and not a fighter.

鈥淐iryl Gane鈥檚 a really good athlete,鈥� Hokit said, answering a question he wasn鈥檛 asked. 鈥淭hat poses a real good threat to Pereira.鈥�

Of his Jackson-Wink teammate Steve Garcia鈥檚 fight against Brazil鈥檚 Diego Lopes, Hokit interjected, 鈥淚t鈥檚 gonna be a good matchup, but I think Steve, you鈥檒l be too much for him.鈥�

Of his own fight, he said, 鈥淭he Incredible Hoke says he鈥檚 gonna put Derrick to sleep like Sleepy Joe. I like Derrick Lewis and I just want to apologize for ruining the press conference last time. 鈥� I鈥檓 nervous right now. It鈥檚 just regular Josh today. 鈥� I鈥檓 tryin鈥� to keep the Incredible Hoke from not coming out. I鈥檓 doing my best.鈥�

He succeeded in not keeping the Incredible Hoke quiet.

鈥淧ereira chews up (Ilia)Toporia鈥檚 food and bird-feeds it into his mouth,鈥� Hokit said at one point.

鈥淐an someone shut thus guy up?鈥� asked Toporia, who鈥檚 matched against Justin Gaethje in Sunday鈥檚 main event.

鈥淚鈥檓 sorry,鈥� Hokit said. 鈥淭oporia鈥檚 probably my favorite fighter, to be honest. Knocks everybody out.鈥�

鈥淭hank you very much, but shut up,鈥� Toporia said.

Hokit (9-0) weighed in on Saturday at 231 pounds. Lewis (29-13) weighed in at the UFC鈥檚 heavyweight limit of 265.

Oddsmakers list Hokit as a heavy (minus-420) favorite against Lewis, 41, who鈥檚 coming off perhaps the worst defeat of his career and is on the card only because he鈥檚 a favorite of President Donald Trump.

Garcia (19-5), Hokit鈥檚 Jackson-Wink teammate, weighed in at 146 pounds as did Lopes (27-8).

Despite Garcia鈥檚 seven-fight win streak, six of those coming by knockout, as of Saturday he was listed as a slight (plus-120) underdog.