Josh Hokit isn’t backing down. In fact, he’s doubling down.
The UFC heavyweight who said “Michelle Obama is a man” after his win Sunday night at the White House called himself “courageous” in a lengthy Instagram post about his eventful weekend.
“Strong and Courageous,” Hokit said on Instagram, despite massive backlash for his comments.
“The only two reasons I joined this sport. If you exercise those every single day and back them up with hard work, the money and success will follow. I’m not here to be liked. I’m not here to be a role model. I don’t care. I’m here to succeed. I’ll do whatever it takes to get where I want to go, and if you don’t like it…Come beat me in a fight.”
UFC President Dana White called the comments “nasty and false,” while dismissing them as “nonsense.”
A video has since emerged showing President Trump quickly removing a chain that Hokit put around his neck after his victory following Hokit’s crude remark about the former First Lady.
The shocking comments following Hokit’s win over Derrick Lewis provided one of the only major blemishes on the event, as the Freedom 250 event went off without a hitch, although multiple outlets reported Tuesday that the FBI thwarted a terrorist attack on the UFC White House card.
Five people were arrested by the FBI as a result.
Former UFC main eventer Derek Brunson agreed that Hokit’s comments were the black eye of the event.
“Hokit had to ruin the UFC White House vibes with that goofy comment about Michelle Obama,” Brunson said. “Super unnecessary SMDH [shaking my damn head].”
Comedian Shane Gillis, who was in attendance, wasn’t a fan of Hokit’s remarks either.
“I didn’t like that s–t,” Gillis said after the event.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
