Sunday night saw the fruition of an event so unlikely that it might have been akin to a fever dream only a few years ago. UFC Freedom 250 played out on the lawn of the White House, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States, as well as President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
The fights on the night predictably made headlines the world over, as did many of the spectacular trimmings and nods to flamboyant excess on show throughout the evening.
As was always destined to be the case, there was no small amount of controversy attached to the event itself. A lawsuit lodged only last week attempted to curtail the fights from happening at all, while a number of moments both pre and post the fights themselves generated plenty of talk.
One incident that garnered particular attention online came in the aftermath of UFC heavyweight Josh Hokit’s win over Derrick Lewis. Hokit, steadily building a reputation as a larger-than-life character within the organization, grabbed the mic for a post-fight victory address that ended with: “And lastly, Michelle Obama is a man, am I right America?”
UFC President Dana White later called the remarks “nasty and false”, but it was the reaction of Donald Trump, seated ringside at the time, that people were immediately drawn to.
Trump removed a chain that Hokit had previously placed around his neck shortly after the fighter’s comments, though others claimed he appeared to briefly smile.
Addressing the footage on CNN, host Kaitlan Collins said: “So as Hokit wraps up his interview and walks away, you can see the president there on the other side of the ring. He can be seen sort of half smiling as there’s a mixture of cheers and boos.”
Collins added that CNN had asked about Hokit’s statement, but that “the White House refused to directly address the question.”
Meanwhile, footage of Trump removing the chain Hokit had given him after the Obama comment became the subject of fierce debate online. Some were willing to believe that the timing of Trump removing the chain coincided so exactly with Hokit’s claim about Michelle Obama that it was the president’s way of exhibiting some sort of disapproval. Others opined that it was merely coincidence, and that Trump would have immediately taken off the chain anyway.
“He probably removed it as the fight was over and he didn’t want to be wearing a f**king Josh Hokit chain all night,” one person wrote on X.
Another added: “Extremely doubtful the two had anything to do with each other. He had just had it put around his neck and he took it off when the idiot stopped talking.”
A third stated their hope that Hokit be removed from the UFC for his comments. “It was a classless comment,” they wrote. “We get it. There’s comedy. But why throw shots at a former president’s wife. Incredibly low class and hope Dana clips this dude.”
What do you think Trump made of the speech? Let us know in the comments.
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