Jackson won't corner for Hokit, Garcia at White House
When Steve Garcia and Josh Hokit fight on the White House South Lawn on June 14 (but not against each other), they evidently will do so without Greg Jackson in their corner. Jackson, co-founder with Mike Winkeljohn of Albuquerque’s Jackson-Wink MMA Academy, confirmed via text on Friday an earlier Instagram post by Hokit that Jackson will not corner for Hokit on the much-ballyhooed UFC Freedom Fights 250. Hokit posted only that Jackson would not corner for him for “personal reasons,” but Jackson told the Journal via text he also will not corner for Garcia.
Hokit and Garcia train at Jackson-Wink, and Jackson is a key member of each fighter’s team. “I won’t be there for either guy this time,” Jackson texted, “but I’m keeping (the reason) off the record. ” Garcia (19-5), a featherweight from Albuquerque by way of Rio Rancho who’s riding a seven-fight win streak, is matched against Brazil’s Diego Lopes (27-8).
A victory over Lopes, the No. 2 challenger to the UFC featherweight title, would boost Garcia, ranked No. 9, higher in the rankings.
Hokit (9-0), a heavyweight and a former Fresno State fullback, got the full attention of the MMA world with his Fight of the Night, Performance of the Night victory over sixth-ranked Curtis Blaydes on April 11. That night, UFC President Dana White announced Hokit would face Derrick Lewis (29-13) on the Freedom Fights card. Hokit has quickly climbed to a No.
5 heavyweight ranking. Lewis, selected as Hokit’s opponent apparently because he’s a favorite of President Donald Trump, is the No. 9 contender.