Key Takeaways
- Josh Hokit publicly accepted Jake Paul’s $1 million crossover challenge after Paul claimed no NFL player could last two rounds in a boxing ring and that he could catch an NFL touchdown with no training.
- Paul responded by inviting the undefeated UFC heavyweight and former Fresno State football and All-American wrestling standout to his Puerto Rico camp, saying he would "gladly embarrass" him in the ring.
- Hokit enters the potential matchup as an 8-0 MMA fighter whose recent wins and inflammatory post-fight comments about Brittney Griner and Michelle Obama have made him one of the UFC’s most polarizing figures.
Josh Hokit has a new target in his sights—and it isn't another UFC heavyweight. Days after Jake Paul challenged NFL players to test themselves in the boxing ring, the undefeated UFC fighter and former NFL hopeful publicly accepted the offer, setting the stage for a potential crossover showdown.
Hokit responded directly to Paul's social media challenge, writing, "With all due respect, @jakepaul… Not only could I beat you in a boxing match, I'd beat you in any sport under the sun."
Paul didn't leave the challenge unanswered. He fired back by inviting Hokit to his Puerto Rico training camp.
"I see your hustle. You do your best to sell," Paul wrote. "If you want to fly down to Puerto Rico and box—anytime I will gladly embarrass you."
The exchange traces back to comments Paul made while defending his claim that he could make an NFL roster. The YouTuber-turned-boxer argued that catching passes at the professional level would come naturally to him, while questioning the athleticism of many current NFL players.
"I think there's a lot of super mediocrity in the NFL and a lot of not good athletes," Paul said. He later doubled down by posting, "Not a single NFL player could last 2 rounds in a professional boxing ring. Meanwhile I can catch a touchdown pass tomorrow in the NFL with 0 training."
To back up his confidence, Paul sweetened the challenge by offering $1 million to an NFL player who could outperform him in the opposite discipline.
Hokit may be one of the few fighters uniquely positioned to answer. Before transitioning full-time into mixed martial arts, he starred at Fresno State as both a football player and an NCAA Division I All-American wrestler.
He briefly spent time with the San Francisco 49ers before launching an MMA career that has produced an undefeated 10-0 record, including a pair of UFC victories.
The challenge also comes as Josh Hokit remains one of the sport's most polarizing figures. His recent post-fight interviews have generated headlines well beyond his performances in the cage.
More recently, after knocking out Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn, Hokit declared, "Michelle Obama is a man! Am I right America?"
