UFC fighter Josh Hokit is facing backlash after making a crude comment about former First Lady Michelle Obama following his win during Sunday night’s UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn of the White House.
During a postfight interview with UFC announcer and podcaster Joe Rogan, Hokit looked into the television camera and repeated a long-running conspiracy theory targeting Obama, calling her a “man.” The remark immediately drew criticism across sports, politics, and media.
The comment came after Hokit had won what was described as the biggest fight of his career. Earlier in the evening, he also gave President Donald Trump a gold chain, who attended the event and later praised it on Truth Social.
Former NFL quarterback and sports broadcaster Robert Griffin III was among those who condemned Hokit’s remarks. “Josh Hokit won the biggest fight of his career at the White House and decides to finish his interview by calling Michelle Obama a Man. What a disgrace,” Griffin wrote on social media. “It takes a really small man to use his biggest moment to attack a woman by calling her a man. Especially with the history behind calling black women men.”
The Democratic National Committee also responded, posting a portrait of Obama and saying she “lives in their heads rent-free.”
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who has often supported Trump, also criticized the moment and called on the president to denounce Hokit’s comment.
“These are UFC guys, they’re crazy. They’re idiots,” Portnoy said. “But when you have that on the White House lawn on an event you put down … I don’t care what you think about the Obamas or anything. That has to be an immediate denounce.”
Hokit’s remarks appeared to fall flat in the moment and were not addressed by UFC CEO Dana White during the event’s post-fight press conference. White later condemned the comment in a conversation with Time Magazine.
“I understand that the Obamas are public figures but I’m completely against saying nasty and false things about people’s families,” White said. “Everyone knows my position on free speech but I hate that kind of nonsense.”
Hokit is not expected to be punished by the UFC for the remarks. However, he was left out of the event’s post-fight bonus rollout, which went to new lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, who received two bonuses, Ilia Topuria and new interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment, according to The Hill.
Rep. Joaquin Castro also questioned Paramount, which streamed the event, over the comments airing during the broadcast. “So is this the kind of trash we can expect from @paramountplus and @CBS now,” Castro wrote.
Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 event marked an unusual collision of sports, entertainment and presidential politics. The event underscored Trump’s long-standing relationship with UFC CEO Dana White and the broader MMA world.
In a post overnight Sunday, Trump called the event “incredible” and said the White House “has never looked more beautiful.”
But the backlash to Hokit’s remarks has now become part of the larger story, raising questions about the event’s tone, the handling of live post-fight interviews, and the responsibility of broadcasters and political hosts when offensive comments are made on such a high-profile platform.
For critics, the issue was not only that Hokit repeated a baseless and degrading conspiracy theory. It was that he chose to do it on the White House lawn, during a nationally televised event, in a moment that should have focused on his athletic achievement.
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