One of the most contentious moments from UFC Freedom 250 last month is back in the spotlight. During Vice President JD Vance‘s appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, the UFC commentator discussed Josh Hokit‘s viral and highly controversial post-fight comment, asking the Vice President whether Hokit’s failed armbar submission attempt of Derrick Lewis was more “shocking” than his “Michelle Obama is a man” comment made after the fight. And well, Vance didn’t hesitate to let his blunt thoughts be known.

“Uh, definitely the armbar part,” JD Vance said. “Man, I work in politics. People say crazy stuff all the time.

“People lost their minds about it. To the point where all of my comms people, the thing they were most worried about was, ‘They’re going to ask you about Michelle Obama being called a man. Like, what are you going to say?’”

However, for the Vice President of the United States, the rush of adrenaline taking over a fighter’s rationale was something he clearly understood. Instead, he was more surprised by something else.

“I was like, ‘What an amped-up fighter told a joke after a fight, said something after a fight, and that’s actually national news?’” he said. “I’m still surprised. I’ve been in politics now for three or four years. I’m still shocked by the s— that people get really fired up about.”

Joe Rogan, however, pushed back on Vance’s reaction, noting that the fact that the event was happening at the White House made the outrage from all corners understandable.

“Again, not the best thing to say at the White House. ‘Michelle Obama is a man’ is not the best thing to say,” Rogan argued.

However, the 41-year-old continued underplaying the outrage that followed the inappropriate comment.

“Fair,” Vance replied. “But the reaction to it, to me, was still totally disproportionate. Dude, people say stuff all the time. Ok, I work in a business where, obviously, people make life and death decisions all the time. And I’m always a little bit caught off guard by the culture that just overreacts.”

According to Vance, while the comment was inappropriate, he didn’t understand how people “kind of lose their minds” over it. To him, the outrage was still bigger than it should’ve been.

While it’s true Hokit made the comment, likely hoping for a reaction, the fact that he made it in front of the South Lawn, in the presence of the President and about a former First Lady, with the whole world watching, made it highly offensive. In that context, the outrage is justified.

Even Rogan had posited the same during an earlier edition of his podcast with comic Tim Dillon, arguing that Josh Hokit’s statements became a far bigger story because they occurred on the South Lawn of the White House rather than inside a typical UFC venue.

Joe Rogan says the White House setting changed everything for Josh Hokit

“That guy Josh Hokit. You know, that’s like, he’s got a, a shtick,” Rogan told Dillon. “Like, he’s got a character: ‘The Incredible Hok.’ And so he’s basically like a pro-wrestling bad guy who also is a really good fighter. So there’s a real problem there.

“Well, they probably, in retrospect, if they wanted to avoid this, probably shouldn’t have had him fight on the White House lawn. Because if he said that at the T-Mobile Arena or in Madison Square Garden, outrageous, but not that big a deal.”

Looking at the timing, the UFC commentator’s claim carries some merit. Josh Hokit made essentially the same remark after an LFA victory in 2025, which drew criticism, but it never gained anything near the same level of national attention.

This time, he delivered it moments after winning on the White House grounds in front of President Donald Trump, with millions of viewers watching from all over the world live. So, it is the backdrop that made it all the more worse. In fact, even free speech advocate Dana White had come forward and admitted that he wasn’t pleased with the situation, especially because of where it took place.

“You think I’m happy about what Josh Hokit said?” White told Tomi Lahren. “You know, that the night that I’m trying to unify the country, he goes out and says something absolutely stupid like he did that night.”

However, despite all the backlash and brutal reactions, ‘The Incredible Hok’ hasn’t backed down. Speaking recently with Ariel Helwani, the undefeated heavyweight argued that he made the statement as a form of praise.

“I thought I was giving her a compliment,” he told Ariel Helwani. “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.”

But when the MMA journalist pushed back on this narrative, Josh Hokit later framed the same as an example of free speech.

“I thought it was a perfect opportunity to show the world how great this country is with freedom of speech,” he added. “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.

“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.”

Whether fans saw it as political commentary, trolling, or simply another wrestling-style heel promo, one thing is clear: weeks after the UFC Freedom 250, people are still talking about Josh Hokit as much as the event that he didn’t even get to headline.