Josh Hokit vs Denzel Freeman UFC 324 Prediction - 1/24/2026
Updated July 9, 2026
Josh Hokit and Denzel Freeman will meet on Saturday night at UFC 324 in Las Vegas. Hokit enters this heavyweight bout with a perfect professional record and a 100% finish rate, while Freeman has lost just once in his career and will try to build on a win in his UFC debut. Which fighter will improve to 2-0 as a member of the UFC roster? Get my answer to that question below, as I bring you my Josh Hokit vs Denzel Freeman prediction from Vegas.
Pick: | Hokit by KO ATS PRO |
Confidence: | 3/5 |
Josh Hokit | Denzel Freeman | |
|---|---|---|
Age | 28 | 34 |
Reach | 73″ | 77.5″ |
Stance | Orthodox | Southpaw |
Record | 7‑0‑0 | 7‑1‑0 |
Josh Hokit steps into this bout as an undefeated heavyweight with nothing but finishes in his career so far. The former Division I wrestler and ex‑NFL practice squad athlete has adapted his athletic gifts into a frightening mix of pace, power, and grappling ability. Hokit’s 7 pro victories consist of 4 knockouts and 3 submissions, and he has never left a fight to the judges' scorecards. In his UFC debut, Hokit dispatched Max Gimenis by first‑round KO and he will try to build on that with another stoppage win in the early prelims of UFC 324.
Denzel Freeman enters with a strong pro record himself at 7-1. Freeman’s path to the UFC was paved through finishes via both knockout and submission. In his promotional debut, he earned a unanimous decision win over Marek Bujlo, showcasing a more measured and technical approach. Freeman’s southpaw stance and ability to mix striking with grappling gives him several avenues to challenge Hokit. Statistically, Freeman lands over 3 significant strikes per minute and allows just above 2 against him, indicating he can both attack and defend without leaving many opportunities for his opponents. His UFC debut showed a comfort with longer fights and pacing that could help him weather the early storm from Hokit.
Hokit seeks to overwhelm opponents rapidly with forward pressure and big shots, only seeing the second round in two of his first seven pro fights. Freeman is more comfortable taking time to set his range and look for openings. If Freeman can avoid early damage and get Hokit to respect his jab, he may be able to slow the pace and drag this fight into deeper waters. However, Hokit’s finishing instinct could make the difference should he secure control and punish Freeman consistently.
I think that we'll see Hokit get a win in this fight and stay undefeated in his professional MMA career. But there isn't a lot of value in betting Hokit to win on the moneyline. Instead, I'll take Hokit to win by knockout, as he should be able to use his attacking weaponry to prevent Freeman from getting comfortable in this matchup.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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