Josh Hokit edged out an intense three round bloody brawl with Curtis Blaydes tonight at UFC 327.

Round One

Right hand from Hokit as he starts with some herky jerky striking. Blaydes tries for a single-leg but Hokit gets away.

Blaydes catches Hokit. Hokit coming forward aggressively. Hokit tags him and Blaydes legs buckle, but he survives.

Hokit with constant pressure and swinging for the fences. He catches Blaydes again and has him hurt for a second time. It’s all a bit sloppy as Blaydes staggers and is now bleeding, but still fighting on.

Blaydes able to get an important takedown. Hokit back up though. Blaydes gets him back down. Hokit stands again facing the cage.

Hokit turns into Blaydes. Now it’s Blaydes who lands a few punches down the pipe. Hokit moves away and then gives him the finger.

Blaydes is the one pouring on the pressure now. He’s charging forward behind big punches and Hokit is in reverse gear.

Repeated punches from Blaydes, but Hokit is eating them for now and landing the occasional punch in return. They cant keep up this pace though and either man could fall from a single clean punch here.

Blaydes on the attack again late in this wild first round and Hokit loses his mouthpiece along the way, but makes it to the end of the round.

Round Two

Right hand for Blaydes. Winging right hand from Hokit. Jab for Blaydes. Blaydes drives in for a takedown, but Hokit stuffs it.

Grazing right hand from Hokit. Jab for Blaydes. Punch lands for Hokit. Uppercut from Blaydes but then a power right lands for Hokit.

Hokit applying pressure now and clinches up against the cage.

Back to striking now and Blaydes lands an uppercut, while Hokit goes for a knee.

Hokit with another punch. A few labored left hands get through for Blaydes. They clinch up and trade uppercuts.

Right hand for Hokit. Now Hokit unleashes a combo that lands and Blaydes legs are wobbled for a moment.

Hokit unloads again with another barrage of punches to the head, but somehow Blaydes stays upright. Uppercut for Blaydes. Now it’s Blaydes rushing forward landing a flurry of punches, but Rokit survives.

They clinch up again and Blaydes lands some body blows. Now a couple of uppercuts. Back to striking range again.

Knee strike to the body for Hokit. Right hand from Blaydes. Another knee to the midsection from Hokit. Uppercut in the clinch from Blaydes. Gruelling work here.

Right hand lands for Hokit and then a big one in return from Hokit. Both men are exhausted but refusing to let the other man win, so we’re headed to a third round of this crazy brawl.

Round Three

Hokit with a flurry of punches to the head and then Blaydes responds in kind. Blaydes tries for a takedown but it’s stuffed.

Three-piece combo for Blaydes. Now back into the clinch and landing a few uppercuts. Knee to the body from Hokit.

They split. Left hand for Blaydes. Jabs land for Hoki repeatedly. Right hand from Blaydes.

Glancing left hook from Blaydes. He lands a big right hand as he wades forward. Jabs and a right hand from Blaydes. He lands another power right. Hokit keeps eating them though.

Now Hokit gets in close to land a series of elbow strikes. Blaydes tries to land one of his own.

Jab for Blaydes. Short right hook from Hokit. Flurry from Hokit. Back into the clinch and they each land elbows before separating.

Another short burst of strikes from Hokit. Right hand gets through again for Blaydes.

Punches exchanged and then into the clinch to exchange a few more.

Back out of the clinch and Blaydes steps forward with a few punches. Hokit lands a punch.

A couple of right hands for Hokit. Tired left and right for Blaydes. Heavy right hand from Hokit. Punches from Blaydes and then a leg kick.

Hokit presses him into the clinch and lands an elbow. Knee for him and an elbow from Blaydes.

Hokit reels off some final punches and Blaydes tries to match him. Against the odds we’re heading to the scorecards.

Decision

What a wild fight that was from start to finish! It didn’t look like it was going to last a minute after the frenetic start, but somehow these two stayed standing and bludgeoned each other for three full rounds. Blaydes face was coated in crimson for much of the fight, and though for the most part he gave as good as he got, Hokit’s constant aggression earns him the unanimous decision victory (29-28 x3).