LiontipsCurtis Blades - Josh Hokit: Betting Tip (KEF 2.04) and bets on the fight
Command Analysis
Current form
Curtis Blades approaches this fight against the background of a very controversial career segment. The victory over Rizvan Kuniev in June raised questions rather than removed them: many saw a controversial decision by the judges there, and the feeling of having to lose hung in the air until the verdict was announced. This was Blades' first appearance in the octagon after a heavy defeat by Tom Aspinall in the summer of 2024 in a fight for the interim title. If you dig deeper, the picture becomes even more uneven. The victory over Jailton Almeida turned out to be a series of got up from under fire and survived, and the triumph over Aspinall in their first meeting was generally shaped by an injury to the opponent. And if you remove all the controversial and gift scenarios, there remains a feeling that the peak of Blades is already over.
Two wins and two losses in the last four fights — the statistics seem to be working, but adjusted for the context, it looks alarming. The knockouts from Tom Aspinall and Sergey Pavlovich revealed the main problem: when Blades is caught in the rack, he begins to have great difficulties. The last really confident success was in 2022 and the fight against Chris Daukaus. Now he is 35 years old, and the career balance — 19 wins (12 by knockout, 6 by decision, 1 by submission) with 5 defeats — is already beginning to sound like a story about decline, not about development.
Current form
Josh Hokit is the exact opposite in terms of energy and direction of movement. He broke into the UFC abruptly and without much hesitation, quickly closing questions about Denzel Freeman and Max Gimenis. And even though his path to the top is still short, he looks as confident as possible. A former NFL player is a different story. His physics catches the eye right away: speed, explosion, athleticism, which are rare in the heavyweight division. He's not just a big guy, he's a big guy who can move like a light heavyweight.
Yes, he has questions about his experience, but so far he is covering them with aggression and pace. An image of a fighter is already forming around him, who can become a serious force in the division if he does not break under the pressure of the tops. At the moment, Hokita has a perfect record of 8 wins (5 by knockout, 3 by submission) and no defeats. And this adds to the intrigue: we do not yet know its limit.
Trends
Bet The duel won't be complete
The two fighters have 21 early wins.
Tip and bets
Blades is a classic heavyweight who relies on fighting and control. In recent years, he has been stopped more and more often by blows. And this is the key point. All his defeats were from the drummers, and they all came painfully and quickly. If Hokit knows how to keep his distance and does not allow himself to be translated, the scenario becomes very difficult for Blades. And Josh just looks like the one who's capable of thwarting a familiar plan. He's fast, explosive, and doesn't look like a guy who can be easily dragged into a sticky fight yet. If he can withstand the first attempts at translation and sets his pace in the stand, he will have a serious advantage. In fact, this is a battle about whether the old order will have time to translate the new chaos into canvas. And if not, we can expect a loud statement from Hokita.
Our betting tip is Hokita's victory in 2.04
