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UFC Fighter Appearing At Trump’s Birthday Cage Match Openly Wished He Could Report His Own Mom To ICE
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White House visits are typically reserved for foreign dignitaries, Nobel Prize winners, heads of state and the Easter Bunny. On Sunday, for President Donald Trump’s birthday (and at a cost of upwards of $60 million), it will instead host bloodsport, featuring combatants with a long history of wildly racist and other problematic statements, and allegations of domestic violence. Josh Hokit, a heavyweight fighter slated to appear at the White House at the explicit request of Trump, once called a Black UFC fighter a “human gorilla,” is no stranger to the N-word, and said he wished he could report his mom, who is Mexican, to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He’s also repeatedly accused high-profile women of being men, including former first lady Michelle Obama and WNBA star Brittney Griner. “P.S. Michelle Obama is a man,” Hokit, who has described himself as “100% transphobic,” said during a post-match interview in 2025. After making a similar comment about Griner in January, UFC President Dana White suggested he should tone it down: “I don’t love it,” he told reporters. (In 2023, White was filmed slapping his wife while the two were at a nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.) Sean O’Malley, a fighter in the bantamweight bout, has argued it’s OK for him to cheat on his wife because Andrew Tate ― a self-described misogynist who’s been charged with rape and human trafficking in Romania ― said it was fine. “I’m a king, I pay for everything,” O’Malley said on a podcast in 2023. “If I get a little puss on the side, what does that have to do with anything? I have testosterone running through my veins; it’s that fucking simple.” He continued, “Andrew Tate explains it well.” He then went on to describe himself as “f**king King Kong.” O’Malley concluded, “It’s status. You know I got status, so I can.” More recently, O’Malley apologized to a Chinese fighter after he wore a surgical face mask to their face-off in apparent reference to COVID-19 originating in the country. “I’m OK, but I think don’t bring racism in this sport,” competitor Song Yadong said of O’Malley’s gag. “Just keep it a sport.” Meanwhile, in the lightweight bout, fighter Ilia Topuria ― aka “El Matador” ― will be fighting for the first time since he and his ex-wife reached an out-of-court settlement after she accused him of domestic abuse. Topuria was forced to take time off from the sport late last year following the allegations, which he vigorously denied, calling them “unfounded” and “attempted extortion” in a statement. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.