UFC Heavyweight Title Contender Josh Hokit Chokes a Fan Unconscious at Meet and Greet

An unusual request, granted

UFC heavyweight title contender Josh Hokit choked a fan unconscious during a meet-and-greet at a promotional event for Paramount Peptide Solutions on Sunday. According to video of the encounter, a fan in the crowd asked to be choked out entirely, and Hokit obliged, locking in a standing choke and holding it until the man went limp and briefly convulsed before waking up again just as quickly, seemingly unbothered by the experience.

Hokit joked that someone else in the crowd was "next" before checking on the fan, who responded enthusiastically that he was fine.

Viral, on brand

Video of the moment was posted to Instagram by an account with more than 445,000 followers, captioned simply "Lol," and quickly racked up more than 23,000 likes. For Hokit, the clip fits a pattern: he has built a reputation for offbeat antics outside the cage to go along with a perfect record inside it.

The stakes ahead

The stunt comes as Hokit prepares for the biggest fight of his career. He is set to face Ciryl Gane for the newly vacated undisputed UFC heavyweight title, headlining UFC 334 on November 14, almost exactly one year after his promotional debut.

Hokit remains undefeated in the UFC to date, and a win over Gane would put him at the top of the heavyweight division just over a year into his time with the promotion, a rapid rise that has run in parallel with the kind of viral moments that keep him in the conversation between fights.