Ilia Topuria opens up on press conference spat with Josh Hokit

Ilia Topuria believes his altercation with Josh Hokit could have turned physical without the presence of security. Topuria puts his lightweight title on the line against interim champion Justin Gaethje in the main event at UFC Freedom 205 on June 14 at the White House. Meanwhile, Hokit is scheduled to fight Derrick Lewis in a heavyweight tilt on the same card.

Topuria and Hokit got into an altercation during a promotional presser for the event earlier this month in Newark, New Jersey. Hokit launched an unprovoked tirade on Alex Pereira , who fights Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title on the same card. Pereira and Topuria had traveled together to visit President Donald Trump just ahead of the presser.

Topuria, who was sitting next to Pereira, stood up to defend “Poatan” against Hokit’s rant. Things heated up when Topuria threw a glass of water at Hokit. However, security personnel intervened before things could escalate.

‘I Couldn’t Believe It’ Topuria recently opened up about his altercation with Hokit. “El Matador” explains that he was enraged when Hokit insulted Pereira’s mother. While Topuria understands the usual trash talk in MMA, he believes certain boundaries mustn’t be crossed with millions of fans watching.