UFC president Dana White has sharply criticized fighter Josh Hokit for controversial comments he made immediately after defeating Derrick Lewis at the Freedom 250 event held at the White House, İdman.Biz reports.
Following his victory, Hokit claimed that former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama is a man, triggering widespread backlash.
Speaking on The Pivot podcast, White made it clear that he strongly disagreed with the fighter's remarks.
"Barack and Michelle Obama are public figures, and when you're a public figure, that's part of the game. But I didn't like it. First of all, she's a former First Lady of the United States. Second, she's a wife and a mother. It was disgusting. It was inappropriate. The timing, everything about it. People understand there are certain things you just shouldn't say. And that certainly isn't the opinion of the UFC, my opinion, or any of the fighters who competed that night," White said.
The UFC boss revealed that he only learned about the incident after the event had ended.
"I didn't even hear it until the show was over. I had no idea he had said it. It was a really unfortunate moment. You have a flawless event in every respect, and then something like that happens. But other than that, it was a great night," he added.
Despite condemning Hokit's statement, White stressed that he would not change his long-standing position on free speech within the promotion.
"Unfortunately, when it comes to free speech, you often have to defend the things you dislike the most. You can't talk about free speech and then decide what people are allowed to say. I don't always like it, but that's the reality.
I don't always like my own position on free speech, but I believe it has to be protected," White concluded.
White has consistently defended fighters' right to express their personal opinions while emphasizing that such statements do not represent the official position of the UFC.
