Josh Hokit defended his comment about calling Michelle Obama a “man.”
“I thought I was giving her a compliment,” the UFC fighter, 28, said during a Tuesday, June 23, appearance on sport journalist Ariel Helwani’s eponymous show.
Earlier this month, Hokit participated in UFC Freedom 250 event. After defeating Derrick Lewis, Hokit made a controversial remark about the former first lady in a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
“Michelle Obama is a man,” Hokit said at the time. “Am I right, America?”
Hokit received backlash for the comment but argued on Tuesday that it was meant to be endearing.
“Michelle Obama being a man. It’s like, she knows how to deal with adversity,” he said. “She knows how to work hard like a man when the times get tough.”
Helwani, 43, then asked Hokit why the thought popped into his mind during his interview.
“I thought it was a perfect opportunity to show the world how great this country is with freedom of speech,” he explained to Helwani. “You go somewhere [else in the world] and you say something like that and you die. And I’m not suicidal by the way. I’m in good spirits. I’m a little under the weather right now but other than that, I’m good. And so in other parts of the world, you say something like that and you’re not here to speak to Ariel Helwani, you know. So yeah, I don’t know; there are a few ways. There’s a few answers to that. There’s a certain side that pokes at another side and there’s no outrage there and so I thought it was a perfect time to take a jab.”
When asked if he regretted the comment about Obama, Hokit stood 10 toes down.
“Never,” he said. “That’s one thing about my career. … You’ll never hear me backtrack from what I say.”
After Hokit’s remarks got the attention of the American people, the White House responded to the controversy. Spokesman Steven Cheung called Hokit’s match a “great win” and applauded his performance.
“He showed toughness and the ability to pressure his opponent both on his feet and on the ground,” Cheung told CNN’s Jake Tapper in June.
However, UFC CEO Dana White had a different reaction to Hokit’s comment.
“I understand that the Obamas [sic] are public figures but I’m completely against saying nasty and false things about people’s families,” White, 56, said in a text message to Time magazine. “Everyone knows my position on free speech but I hate that kind of nonsense.”
Obama, for her part, has not publicly addressed Hokit’s comment. Us Weekly previously reached out to Obama’s spokesperson for comment but did not hear back.
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