Shane Gillis doing standup and UFC Heavyweight Josh Hokit (R) facing off with Derrick Lewis (L) during the Freedom 250 UFC fight card
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Shane Gillis gives verdict on Josh Hokit’s Michelle Obama slur at UFC White House

The controversy takes another turn

Daisy Phillipson
15th June 2026, 19:20
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Comedian Shane Gillis has weighed in after UFC fighter Josh Hokit sparked controversy with a remark about former First Lady Michelle Obama during the UFC’s White House event.

The unusual event took place on the White House lawn on June 14th as part of the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence and Trump’s 80th birthday, with guests including Gillis, Joe Rogan, and Dana White.

It didn’t take long before controversy unfolded, when rising star Josh Hokit defeated Derrick Lewis. While being interviewed by Rogan inside the Octagon, he thanked Trump for hosting the event and shouted out Jesus Christ.

He finished by saying, “And lastly, Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?” The comment was met with a mixed reaction from the crowd, with both cheers and audible groans heard from spectators. 

Now, Shane Gillis has shared his verdict on the moment. Speaking to TMZ after the event, Gillis admitted he “didn’t love” Hokit’s remark, making it clear he wasn’t a fan of the joke.

When asked why, he replied, “Why do you think?… I don’t like that sh*t.”

While Gillis kept his response brief, he joins UFC president Dana White in distancing himself from the comment. Less than 24 hours after the event, White described the remark as both “nasty and false” in a statement to Time magazine.

“I understand that the Obama’s are public figures but I’m completely against saying nasty and false things about people’s families,” he said. “Everyone knows my position on free speech but I hate that kind of nonsense.”

The White House took a different approach. When asked about the incident by CNN, communications director Steven Cheung declined to criticise Hokit, instead praising the fighter’s performance and saying he “had a great win” and showed “toughness” throughout the bout.

The comment itself references a long-running conspiracy theory that has circulated online for years claiming Michelle Obama is secretly a man, a claim that has repeatedly been debunked.

The former First Lady has not publicly responded to Hokit’s remarks, but the Democratic Party’s X account posted an image of her alongside the caption, “Michelle Obama lives in their heads rent-free.”

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Featured image credit: Netflix/Bonnie Cash/Pool/EPA/Shutterstock