Daniel Cormier says Josh Hokit’s post-fight comment about Michelle Obama at UFC Freedom 250 was “disgusting,” “irresponsible,” and completely unnecessary — particularly given that Hokit had already put on a strong performance before making the remark.
Cormier addressed the situation on his YouTube channel, drawing on his personal knowledge of Hokit.
Josh Hokit made a comment in the octagon on Sunday night after he won the fight, it was completely uncalled for. Josh has been in my gym, Josh was in the fighter meetings last weekend, and he wasn’t doing the whole character thing. When he’s not doing the whole character thing, he’s a normal dude. He’s a good fighter, and he’s a great athlete. But the comments that he made in the octagon just made no sense. It was irresponsible, it was nasty, it was horrible, and it was unnecessary.
He said Hokit had an opportunity to make fans by simply being himself before throwing it away.
He started his post-fight interview, and he was going to do one of those gimmicky things. And then he stopped himself and he did an interview. And he was good. He could have left, and he could have made more fans than he walked in there with. But instead, he goes and says the thing about Michelle Obama, who is as classy a person as you will ever meet, who has only represented herself, her family, and this country with grace and class.
Cormier connected the remark to broader societal concerns.
So many people right now in our country are trying to divide. That’s the type of statement that divides, when in reality, we as a country should be trying to come together. He needs to do better. Because it looks like he’s going to have a good career in the UFC, and it benefitted him none to do that. There was no gain in Josh Hokit doing that, and it was disgusting.