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

“I thought I was giving her a compliment,” he said in an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show. 

When Helwani expressed skepticism, and began saying he didn’t think anyone viewed it as a compliment, Hokit continued: “Michelle Obama being a man. It’s like, she knows how to deal with adversity. She knows how to work hard like a man when the times get tough.”

Helwani asked Hokit why that was the thought that popped into his head at the time, which came during an interview with Joe Rogan after Hokit won his bout at the UFC Freedom 250 event held June 14 on the White House lawn.

“I thought it was a perfect opportunity to show the world how great this country is with freedom of speech,” Hokit responded. “You go somewhere [else in the world] and you say something like that and you die. And I’m not suicidal by the way. I’m in good spirits. I’m a little under the weather right now but other that than, I’m good. And so in other parts of the world, you say something like that and you’re not here to speak to Ariel Helwani, you know. So yeah, I don’t know there’s a ways — there’s a few answers to that. There’s a certain side that pokes at another side and there’s no outrage there and so I thought it was a perfect time to take a jab.”

Asked if he regretted the comment, Hokit said: “That’s one thing about my career. … You’ll never hear me backtrack from what I say.”

Hokit fought fellow heavyweight Derrick Lewis in the White House event and won. 

Among those slamming Hokit’s comments were UFC president and CEO Dana White, who told The Los Angeles Times that he is “completely against saying nasty and false things about people’s families.” He added: “Everyone knows my position on free speech but I hate that kind of nonsense.”

Watch his appearance on Helwani’s show below.

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