Waldo Cortes-Acosta wants to take Josh Hokit's teeth in future UFC fight

Waldo Cortes-Acosta says he wants to knock out Josh Hokit's teeth if the two ever meet in the UFC. The heavyweight headliner made the comments in an interview with MMA Fighting published on November 6, 2026, as he prepares to face Johnny Walker in the UFC Vegas 124 main event on Saturday at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.

Cortes-Acosta stepped into the short-notice headliner after Sean Brady withdrew from the original main event against Gabriel Bonfim. Hokit, meanwhile, challenges Ciryl Gane for the UFC heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden on November 14.

Credits Hokit for moving the division

Cortes-Acosta told MMA Fighting he is excited that the heavyweight title picture is shifting and that new blood is pushing for a shot. He credited Hokit's personality with helping keep the division in the headlines, even if he does not enjoy the challenger's style of trash talk.

"I'm excited for the division because they're still moving everything, the title is moving now," Cortes-Acosta said. "I see the new blood coming for the title.

"Josh Hokit is a personality in there, but it's still moving the heavyweight division right now, [everybody] knows. I can expect good things for the heavyweight division [over] the months, coming in on the new year, too."

MMA Mania also carried the comments, framing them as Cortes-Acosta's response to Hokit's rapid rise from unranked to a title shot.

'Whole teeth, whole mouth'

Cortes-Acosta was among the most active heavyweights in 2025, fighting five times and finishing 2025 with Fighter of the Year consideration on a 4-1 run. He opened 2026 by finishing Derrick Lewis at UFC 324 in January, then dropped consecutive decisions to Alexander Volkov and Curtis Blaydes.

Hokit, by contrast, went from unranked to a title fight in about a year, including a Fight of the Year-contending win over Blaydes at UFC 327 in April. Cortes-Acosta said Hokit's constant talking helped him steal attention — and that he personally wants no part of being a fan.

"Right now, I'm a fan more than that because I don't like it before," Cortes-Acosta said of Hokit's trash talk. "Before him talking shit about everybody, about everything else and everything. Right now, I do it like more reserved [version] of talking shit about everybody, but the personality is there.

"I don't like it too much, personally, but at the same time, too, it makes for more exciting fights. Makes more talk in the social media for the heavyweight division."

Asked about facing Hokit one day, Cortes-Acosta did not hold back.

"I'm no fan of him," he said. "I'm the person, I want one day, meeting him or being in the ring and take it out—whole teeth, whole mouth, the whole f*cking dirty mouth he has."

Vegas 124 first, then a busy plan

Before any Hokit fantasy booking, Cortes-Acosta has Walker on Saturday. He told MMA Fighting that with a win he hopes to turn around quickly for UFC 335 on December 12 — the card he originally expected to fight on — and to sign a new contract that would keep him on a five-fight yearly pace for a second straight year.

The comments remain fight-week talk attributed to Cortes-Acosta via MMA Fighting and MMA Mania. No Cortes-Acosta vs Hokit bout has been announced, and Hokit first has to face Gane for the heavyweight title next weekend in New York.