The historic UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn of the White House was supposed to be a monumental milestone. But it is being overshadowed by a firestorm of controversy, all sparked by Josh Hokit’s comments about former First Lady Michelle Obama. The backlash was instant, and former NFL superstar LeSean “Shady” McCoy has heard enough.
What LeSean McCoy Said About Josh Hokit’s Comments on Michelle Obama
For McCoy, a two-time Super Bowl champion who knows exactly what it means to win on the highest possible stage, the display was a deeply frustrating look at a complete lack of professionalism and basic maturity.
“It was terrible, man,” McCoy said, pulling no punches about the fallout from the fight on the latest “Speakeasy” episode. “I just think that it was a great event that was planned, right? Everybody was having a great time… Then you win a fight. What will wanna make you disrespect someone’s wife?”
“You got young kids that potentially want to be you, and that’s how you conduct yourself on that platform?” McCoy questioned, pointing out the impressionable young fans watching the broadcast.
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As a veteran of the NFL, where strict codes of conduct and heavy fines are standard protocol for bringing negative publicity to the league, McCoy believes the UFC needs to step up and establish firm boundaries for its athletes.
“There has to be some fine or something in the contract for these guys,” McCoy argued. “You get that platform, and that’s what you decide to do? That’s terrible, man.”
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Similarly, former NFL linebacker turned prominent media analyst Emmanuel Acho had a scathing reaction. He did not hold back on the 28-year-old fighter, questioning everything from his basic intelligence to the spatial awareness required to act as a professional athlete.
“It was disappointing by a dude who, if he has a brain, it’s not functioning at high capacity in Josh Hokit,” Acho stated bluntly. “How in the world do you win your event, a gigantic event, and the first thing you want to go do is disparage somebody in Michelle Obama who’s not even thinking about you?”
The likes of Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy have demanded President Donald Trump denounce the act. Meanwhile, UFC CEO Dana White has already publicly called Hokit’s remarks “nonsense” and stated he was completely against saying “nasty and false things about people’s families.”
However, the promotion’s strict anti-censorship stance means Hokit is unlikely to face structural discipline. But as demanded by McCoy, some fine or similar punishment could go a long way to calm the storm.
