A lip reader has identified the eight words Donald Trump said to UFC fighter Josh Hokit at UFC Freedom 250. Hokit caused controversy with his comments directed at former First Lady Michelle Obama. Trump, who celebrated his 80th birthday on Sunday, was seen conversing with Hokit during the first-ever UFC card held at the White House. The occasion formed part of the Trump administration's festivities marking the USA's 250th anniversary.
UFC Event at the White House
As one might expect from a UFC event staged on the lawn of the world's most recognised building, it produced a series of extraordinary scenes. Heavyweight fighter Hokit was among those competing, but left audiences stunned with his remarks following his victory over Derrick Lewis on the iconic South Lawn. Speaking to podcaster Joe Rogan, he shockingly declared: "Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?"
Rogan opted against responding to the comment, instead simply announcing: "Ladies and gentlemen, Josh Hokit."
Trump's Words Revealed
Following his win over Derrick Lewis, Josh was observed in conversation with Trump, who stood ringside on the ground below. Lip reader Jeremy Freeman has now revealed what he believes Trump said to Hokit. Jeremy suggests that after Trump had a chain placed around his neck by Hokit, he said: "Too kind, thank you. You are the champion."
The spectacle, while proving divisive, was enormously well-received within MAGA circles. Secretary of State Marco Rubio went as far as comparing the hosting of the bouts to the moon landings of 1969. He said: "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."
Political Symbolism
Meanwhile, others have proposed that UFC bouts represent more than mere spectacle, instead embodying the ideological foundations of MAGA and Trump's movement. In conversation with the Financial Times, SUNY Brockport sociology professor Kyle Green, who examines the intersection between American politics and sport, explained: "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."
