Josh Hokit showed no remorse for his vulgar remarks about former first lady Michelle Obama. The UFC fighter doubled down on his comments following his victory at an event held on the White House lawn.
His remarks sparked backlash after he repeated an unfounded right-wing conspiracy theory about the former first lady. However, Hokit continued defending his comments ahead of his next heavyweight bout.
Josh Hokit defends his White House remarks ahead of UFC 334
The Associated Press reported that Hokit addressed the controversy Wednesday at a New York hotel. He spoke ahead of Saturday’s UFC 334 main event at Madison Square Garden, where he will face heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane. The fight will mark his return to the octagon for the first time since June.
“I’ll never look back and be like, I regret that,” Hokit said. He described his approach as taking “the rap of a villain” and even launched into a freestyle rap while discussing the controversy. Hokit acknowledged that insulting a former first lady might not have been appropriate. “I’m sure it wasn’t,” he said. Still, he expressed pride that Donald Trump had featured his image in Truth Social posts following the incident.
One post included a cartoon depicting Hokit alongside UFC president Dana White inside the White House briefing room. The fighter also defended his decision to make the remarks at the presidential residence. “That house represents freedom of speech,” Hokit said, describing the White House as “the perfect location” for his comments. He added, “If I’ve got to rub some people the wrong way, if I’ve got to say some (stuff) in the wrong location, it is what it is.”
The controversy followed Hokit’s victory at UFC Freedom 250, held on the White House South Lawn during celebrations for Trump’s 80th birthday on June 14. His remarks about Michelle Obama quickly drew attention beyond the sporting event. Hokit also exchanged crude insults with other fighters during Wednesday’s media appearance.
The 28-year-old entered the upcoming fight with an undefeated 10-0 MMA record. He had won all six of his UFC bouts since joining the promotion in 2025.
Saturday’s matchup against Gane will mark another major test for the heavyweight contender. However, ahead of the fight, Hokit showed little interest in backing away from the remarks that made headlines.
