UFC fighter Josh Hockett says calling Michelle Obama a ‘man’ was meant to be a ‘compliment’

UFC fighter Josh Hockett says he didn’t mean his “Michelle Obama is a man” comment to be an insult. In fact, he claims, it was intended as a “compliment.”

“I thought I was praising her,” he said in one of his appearances. Ariel Helwani Show.

When Helwani expressed doubts, and began to say that he didn’t think anyone would take that as a compliment, Hockett continued: “Michelle Obama is a man. It’s like she knows how to handle adversity. She knows how to work hard as a man when times get tough.”

Helwani asked Hockett why this idea came to his mind at the time, which came during an interview with Joe Rogan after Hockett won his match at the UFC Freedom 250 event held on June 14 on the White House lawn.

“I thought it was the perfect opportunity to show the world how great this country is about freedom of expression,” Hockett responded. “You go somewhere [else in the world] She says something like that and dies. I’m not suicidal by the way. I’m in good spirits. I’m a little under the weather right now but other than that, I’m good. And so in other parts of the world, you say something like that and you’re not here to talk to Ariel Helwani, you know. So, yeah, I don’t know that there are ways – there are some answers to that. “There’s a certain side attacking another side and there’s no anger there, so I think this is the perfect time to take a hit.”

When asked if he regretted the comment, Hockett said: “That’s one thing in my career. … You’ll never hear me take back what I say.”

Hockett fought fellow heavyweight Derrick Lewis at the White House event and won.

Among those who criticized Hockett’s comments was UFC president and CEO Dana White, who said Los Angeles Times And he is “absolutely against saying bad, false things about people’s families.” He added: “Everyone knows my position on freedom of expression, but I hate this kind of nonsense.”

Watch his appearance on Halwani’s show below.

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