A lip reader has revealed the eight words President Donald Trump said to UFC fighter Josh Hokit after Hokit made a shocking comment about former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Trump's Comment to Hokit
According to lip reader Jeremy Freeman, Trump told Hokit: "Too kind, thank you. You are the champion." This came after Hokit draped a chain around Trump's neck following his victory.
The Controversial Comment
Hokit, a heavyweight fighter, stunned viewers after defeating Derrick Lewis on the South Lawn of the White House. During a post-fight interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, Hokit said: "Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?" Rogan did not respond to the remark, instead simply introducing Hokit to the audience.
UFC at the White House
The event, UFC Freedom 250, was held at the White House for the first time as part of the Trump administration's celebrations of the USA's 250th birthday. The spectacle, while controversial, was popular among MAGA circles. Secretary of State Marco Rubio compared the hosting of the fights to the 1969 moon landings, stating: "When President Kennedy announced that we were going to put a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth, no one thought that was possible, and we did it. We are a nation founded on doing what no one else dared to do, and no one else aspired to do. And at some level, that’s what this whole company, what UFC has been."
Symbolism of UFC
Some commentators have suggested that the UFC fights symbolize the ideological stance of MAGA and Trump. Sociology professor Kyle Green from SUNY Brockport, who studies the relationship between US politics and sport, told the Financial Times: "The UFC is probably the most visible Maga-coded thing there is right now. On the superficial level, it is about beating the other person up, about saying you are stronger, and saying you are tougher."
