UFC heavyweight fighter Josh Hokit punctuated his victory speech at the UFC Freedom 250 fights at the White House with an insult against former first lady Michelle Obama.Moments after knocking out Derrick Lewis, Hokit made the unfounded comments during a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan in the Octagon under the UFC’s Claw on the South Lawn.“Michelle Obama is a man,” he said. “Am I right, America?”
Spokespeople for the Obamas and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but condemnation was quick from Democrats and some Republicans.
“‘Michelle Obama is a man’ shouted on the White House lawn in a ring sponsored by Bud Light only available on Larry Ellison’s Paramount Plus,” Tim Miller, Jeb Bush’s 2016 communications director before becoming a prominent member of the Never Trump movement, wrote on social media. “What a way to celebrate America 250 and the twilight of liberal democracy.”
“Michelle Obama is a man” shouted on the White House lawn in a ring sponsored by Bud Light only available on Larry Ellison’s Paramount Plus. What a way to celebrate America 250 and the twilight of liberal democracy. pic.twitter.com/MCTjdB3slg— Tim Miller (@Timodc) June 15, 2026
