Dana White admits he made Josh Hokit’s UFC fights harder on purpose.

Dana White has admitted that his personal dislike of Josh Hokit influenced the matchmaking decisions the UFC made for the rising heavyweight star.

In an appearance on The Jim Rome Show, the UFC CEO acknowledged that he intentionally gave Hokit tougher opponents than necessary.

“I didn’t like some of the things he said so I might’ve threw some tough guys at him,” White said.

Hokit, 28, is set to fight Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 334 on November 14.

He earned that shot by defeating Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis, among others.

White’s admission came in response to criticism that Hokit’s path to the title was not legitimate.

“Hokit was the fight to make,” White told Rome.

“Hokit has been overlooked the entire time not only by the fans and the media, but by me.”

The UFC boss first expressed his dislike for Hokit ahead of UFC 327.

During that event’s press conference, Hokit took over the microphone with his strange characters.

White’s frustration grew after a comment Hokit made at UFC Freedom 250.

Hokit said, “Michelle Obama is a man,” a remark that left White extremely unhappy.

Despite that, White now says Hokit deserves the title shot.

“Like him or hate him, he fought his way to the top, there’s no denying that this guy deserves the title shot,” White continued.

Hokit’s run has not been universally seen as a murderers’ row of opponents.

His fight at UFC Freedom 250 against Derrick Lewis was considered favorable by some analysts.

Lewis entered that fight with a record of 3-2 in his last five bouts, showing clear signs of regression.

Still, Hokit won and kept climbing.

White’s admission raises questions about how much personal feelings shape UFC matchmaking.

The promotion has dealt with controversial champions before.

Sean Strickland has consistently created problems for the UFC with some of his comments.

White has had to learn how to manage fighters whose public statements clash with the brand’s image.

Hokit’s growing star power may now outweigh White’s earlier reservations.

The financial potential of having Hokit as champion is significant.

White acknowledged that Hokit “passed every test” thrown at him.

“Yeah, Hokit was the fight to make,” White repeated in the interview.

“He fought his way to the top, there’s no denying that.”

The UFC heavyweight division has been in flux since the previous champion vacated the belt.

Hokit’s rise has been rapid — a title shot in just his fifth UFC fight.

That speed is unusual for the promotion, which typically requires more experience before a championship opportunity.

White’s admission that he made the path intentionally harder adds context to Hokit’s journey.

Hokit has not publicly responded to White’s comments as of this writing.

The UFC has not issued any additional clarification on the matchmaking process.

White’s remarks were made during a broader interview covering multiple topics.

He also discussed Justin Gaethje’s future and a potential fight with Alexander Volkanovski.

But the Hokit admission drew the most attention from MMA media.

The question now is whether Hokit can complete his unlikely rise by winning the title.

If he defeats Gane, he will become champion despite the UFC boss’s efforts to derail him.

If he loses, the debate over whether he was set up to fail will only grow louder.

White’s honesty about his personal bias has opened a rare window into how the UFC operates behind the scenes.

Matchmaking is typically presented as a merit-based process.

This admission suggests that personal feelings can and do play a role.

Hokit’s case may become a precedent for how fighters are evaluated in the future.