{"id":41225,"date":"2026-10-23T17:32:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T17:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sherdog.com\/news\/news\/Cody-East-credits-Josh-Hokit-training-improved-conditioning-ahead-of-BKB-Biloxi-203312"},"modified":"2026-10-23T17:32:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T17:32:18","slug":"cody-east-credits-josh-hokit-training-improved-conditioning-ahead-of-bkb-biloxi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/cody-east-credits-josh-hokit-training-improved-conditioning-ahead-of-bkb-biloxi\/","title":{"rendered":"Cody East credits Josh Hokit training, improved conditioning ahead of BKB Biloxi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

Cody East plans to spoil the retirement
\nparty for Ike LIVE OCT 23 at 7 PM CT | \ud83c\udf9f\ufe0f Get tickets at
\nhttps:\/\/t.co\/GBzGgysTnE https:\/\/t.co\/7AXsRdV6X6<\/p>\n

\u2014 BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing (@bkbbareknuckle)
\nOctober 22, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

Cody
\n\u201cFreight Train\u201d East<\/a> expects an explosive encounter when he
\nfaces Ike
\nVillanueva<\/a> at BKB Bally\u2019s Fightnight in Biloxi, Mississippi,
\nand the veteran mixed martial artist-turned-bare-knuckle boxer does
\nnot anticipate needing all five rounds to settle the contest.<\/p>\n

\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI can knock him out. My goal is to stop him. We’re two big boys
\nfighting bare-knuckle. I don’t see it going five rounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

East, a 6-foot-3 fighter from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is preparing
\nto compete at 225 pounds. The 38-year-old brings two decades of
\ncombat sports experience into the matchup, along with a training
\ncamp he says has left him stronger, better conditioned and more
\ncomfortable with his weight.<\/p>\n

His opponent, Villanueva, is another experienced combat sports
\nveteran. East respects his toughness but believes sustained
\npressure could expose weaknesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can tell you he’s a tough guy. He’s got experience. He\u2019s been
\naround. He looks in shape. I expect a good fight out of him. But at
\nthe same time, I\u2019ve also seen him quit in some fights. When I push
\nhim enough, I expect him to look for a way out.\u201d<\/p>\n

East discusses his five-round prediction and training camp<\/h2>\n

East said his latest training camp has been considerably easier on
\nhis body than his previous preparation, particularly when it comes
\nto cutting weight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know my training was really good. My weight came down really
\nnicely. Last time, I cut a lot of weight before the fight \u2013 almost
\n30 pounds. This time I didn’t have to do that. I was only eight
\npounds over.\u201d<\/p>\n

East has been training at
\nJackson Wink MMA<\/a> in Albuquerque, with assistance from coach
\nMike Winklejohn and a new strength and conditioning team at Forge
\nFitness.<\/p>\n

He credits the changes with improving his cardiovascular endurance,
\nstrength and flexibility.<\/p>\n

A significant part of that preparation has involved working with
\nfellow mixed martial artist Josh Hokit<\/a>,
\nwho is preparing for a UFC title fight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was fortunate enough to get a lot of work in with Josh Hokit.
\nHe’s getting ready for his title fight in the UFC. I’d help him
\nwith some MMA rounds, and then he’d help me with some bare-knuckle
\nrounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

East explained that the sessions do not involve striking with
\nexposed knuckles. Instead, they emphasize the rules and demands of
\nbare-knuckle boxing, including clinch fighting and striking without
\ntakedowns.<\/p>\n

The intensity, he said, has helped prepare him for the relentless
\npressure he expects against Villanueva.<\/p>\n

Finding freedom in bare-knuckle boxing<\/h2>\n

After years of competing across multiple combat sports disciplines,
\nEast has found an appealing simplicity in bare-knuckle boxing.<\/p>\n

He particularly enjoys the three-minute rounds and the compact
\nfighting area used by BKB, known as the Trigon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s nowhere to run. It’s good to fight. It’s straight to
\naction. I enjoy that. I don’t have to wrestle nobody. I don’t have
\nto be on the floor. I can let my hands go and not worry about
\nholding back.\u201d<\/p>\n

That freedom comes with additional risks.<\/p>\n

East said he has previously broken his hand and understands that
\nbare-knuckle competition demands greater precision than
\nconventional gloved boxing.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’ve got to be accurate, right? You can’t afford to punch
\nsomebody in the head. You’ve got to hit them in the eyes, nose,
\nlips, chin\u2026 You’ve got to be accurate with your punches. You can’t
\njust throw stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite his extensive MMA background, East said switching between
\ndisciplines has not presented significant difficulties.<\/p>\n

He recalled competing in a tournament featuring boxing, kickboxing
\nand MMA contests on the same night, an experience that required him
\nto adjust quickly between different rules.<\/p>\n

His current preparation, however, has focused almost exclusively on
\nstriking with his hands.<\/p>\n

A fighter’s beginnings<\/h2>\n

East traces his introduction to mixed martial arts to watching
\nfellow New Mexico fighter Diego
\nSanchez<\/a> compete on the television series “The Ultimate
\nFighter.”<\/p>\n

A former wrestler and football player, East believed he could make
\nthe transition into professional fighting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wrestled and played football. I saw on TV that Diego Sanchez was
\nfighting on The Ultimate Fighter. I can do that. And then yeah, I
\nwent and did it.\u201d<\/p>\n

East said he began fighting around age 17, supported by his family
\nand an uncle he identified as Frank.<\/p>\n

His younger brother, Tyler East<\/a>,
\nalso pursued a career in combat sports, and the two developed their
\nfighting careers alongside one another.<\/p>\n

East’s nickname, \u201cFreight Train,\u201d dates to an early sparring
\nsession with former MMA champion Carlos
\nCondit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to East, Condit was preparing to fight Brock Larson<\/a>
\nwhen the young East connected with a powerful overhand punch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hit him and he said I hit like a train.\u201d<\/p>\n

The nickname stuck.<\/p>\n

A purpose beyond fighting<\/h2>\n

Although East has devoted much of his life to combat sports, he
\nsays his most meaningful work happens outside the fighting
\narena.<\/p>\n

East described himself as a clinical social worker who works full
\ntime with people experiencing homelessness and substance
\naddiction.<\/p>\n

He said his work involves helping clients pursue sobriety, secure
\nstability and rebuild their lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat’s important to me is my family and God. The fans might know
\nthat I’m a CSW [clinical social worker]. I work with people who are
\nstruggling with homelessness and drug addiction. That’s my
\nfull-time job.\u201d<\/p>\n

For East, the connection between fighting and social work is rooted
\nin discipline, perseverance and the willingness to sacrifice
\nshort-term gratification for lasting improvement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not just about fighting for me. I use the discipline, a bit
\nof martial arts, to try to pass that to my clients \u2013 denying the
\nflesh and not looking for instant gratification.\u201d<\/p>\n

East believes those lessons extend beyond competition, providing a
\nframework for people working to overcome personal challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is something that is so normal in this world these days. We
\nall want instant gratification, and teaching people to work toward
\nlong-term goals is what’s necessary to have long-term success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking toward the next challenge<\/h2>\n

East also expressed interest in a potential cross-promotional event
\nbetween BKB and rival bare-knuckle organization BKFC.<\/p>\n

He believes BKB’s fighters would prove themselves superior in a
\nhead-to-head competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, if they want to. They’re going to lose. I think we’ve got
\nbetter roster fighters. I think we’re a better show. I think it’d
\nbe great. Who is really the best?\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, East’s attention remains on Villanueva.<\/p>\n

With a more manageable weight cut, a demanding training camp and a
\nrenewed emphasis on conditioning, the veteran fighter believes he
\nis positioned to impose his preferred pace.<\/p>\n

His objective is straightforward: pressure Villanueva, capitalize
\non openings and finish the fight before the final bell. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cody East plans to spoil the retirement party for Ike LIVE OCT 23 at 7 PM CT | \ud83c\udf9f\ufe0f Get tickets at https:\/\/t.co\/GBzGgysTnE https:\/\/t.co\/7AXsRdV6X6 \u2014 BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing (@bkbbareknuckle) October 22, 2026 Cody \u201cFreight Train\u201d East expects an explosive encounter when he faces Ike Villanueva at BKB Bally\u2019s Fightnight in Biloxi, Mississippi, and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[150],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-martial-arts-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41225\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}