UFC fighter Josh Hokit used the opportunity Tuesday to explain why he declared “Michelle Obama is the man” after winning a fight at the White House’s UFC Freedom 250 event.
“I thought I was complimenting her,” Hokit said during an appearance on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” When Helwani said it wasn’t about how people perceived her comments, Hokit continued, “It’s like Michelle Obama knows how to deal with adversity because she’s a man. She knows how to work hard like a man in tough times.”
Hokitt made this derogatory remark in an interview on June 14, shortly after his heavyweight victory over Derrick Lewis. While speaking to commentator Joe Rogan on a Paramount+ livestream, the fighter unexpectedly yelled into the microphone, “And finally, Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?”, prompting screams from the live audience in Washington, D.C. The inflammatory comment was heavily criticized on social media, but was not featured in the rest of the broadcast. Logan looked dismayed and stepped back from the fighter and said, “Everyone, Josh Hokit.”
Mr. Hokit later told Mr. Helwani that his comments showed free speech in the United States. “I thought it was a great opportunity to show the world how great this country is when we have free speech. Go[to other parts of the world]and say things like that and die. By the way, I’m not suicidal. I’m fine. I’m feeling a little under the weather right now, but other than that I’m fine. So in other parts of the world… , I’m not here to talk to Ariel Helwani to say something like that. Yeah, I don’t know if there’s a way to do it, but there are some answers to that. There’s a certain side that hits another side, and there’s no anger there, so I thought it was the perfect time to take a jab.
Hokit would not apologize for the comment, telling Helwani, “It’s part of my career. … I’ll never take back what I said.”
UFC CEO Dana White, who has famously stood by his fighters when they faced backlash for their anti-color comments, slammed Hokit in a statement to Time magazine. “While I understand that the Obamas are public figures, I completely disagree with saying mean and untrue things about people’s families,” White wrote. “Everyone knows my position on free speech, but I hate that kind of nonsense.”
The White House had previously dodged questions about the controversial postgame interview. Asked about Michelle Obama’s comments on Hokit, President Trump’s spokesman Stephen Chan told reporters, according to CNN’s Jake Tapper, “He had a great win last night. He showed toughness and ability to put pressure on opponents both on his feet and on the ground.”
The UFC Freedom 250 event was streamed on Paramount+ on June 15 and saw fighters from the United States and abroad face off in the Octagon set up on the White House lawn. President Trump, first lady Melania Trump and White watched the fight cageside, and comedians Shane Gillis, Nate Bergatze and Tony Hinchcliffe were also in attendance. The broadcast, which happened to take place on President Trump’s 80th birthday, was largely apolitical, though bloody, with UFC fighters marching from the White House to the Octagon alongside U.S. veterans and first responders.
