Overview
- Josh Hokit shouted “Michelle Obama is a man” during a post-fight interview at the UFC Freedom 250 card held on the White House South Lawn on June 14, drawing mixed boos and cheers from the crowd.
- Prominent athletes and commentators including Daniel Cormier, Stephen A. Smith and Cam Newton publicly condemned the remark as offensive and divisive.
- UFC president Dana White issued a statement rejecting the comment and distancing the promotion from it, but the UFC has not announced any formal discipline for Hokit.
- Hokit posted an Instagram item purporting to apologize that was widely read as trolling after he labeled the post “Cap,” and reporters note he has previously made similar gendered insults toward prominent Black women.
- The incident has intensified scrutiny of staging a paid UFC card on presidential grounds and of President Donald Trump’s response, with some outlets reporting he briefly smiled and others calling for clearer denouncement from the White House.