Du Plessis Warns 10-0 Hokit Michelle Obama Remark Will Cost Him

Q: Why was undefeated star Josh Hokit erased from the official UFC 6 video game after his controversial 2025 speech?

There is no confirmed evidence that Josh Hokit was removed from EA Sports UFC 6 because of his controversial speech. What is established is that he was absent from the game’s launch roster despite being an undefeated, ranked heavyweight, and that his omission came just days after the White House event backlash. The controversy centered on Hokit’s post-fight remark about former First Lady Michelle Obama after his win over Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, 2026. The comment was widely condemned by UFC CEO Dana White, Daniel Cormier and other figures in the sport. Hokit did not apologize and instead escalated the dispute publicly. EA UFC 6 was released on June 19, 2026, with Hokit listed among the notable missing ranked fighters. That timing has fueled speculation that the backlash influenced the decision, especially because he had become one of the UFC’s fastest-rising heavyweights and would normally be a strong candidate for inclusion. Still, neither EA Sports nor the UFC has publicly said the speech was the reason. So the most accurate answer is that Hokit was not officially “erased” for a confirmed cause; he was omitted from the game, and the most plausible explanation is that the fallout from his offensive remarks shortly before release made his inclusion commercially and reputationally risky.

Q: Is Josh Hokit’s inflammatory persona a calculated business act or the fighter's authentic self, as he claims?

Josh Hokit’s persona appears to be both authentic and calculated, with the evidence pointing more to an amplified version of his real views than a purely manufactured act. The strongest case for authenticity is his consistency. Hokit did not retreat after the Michelle Obama remark; he doubled down, repeated similar rhetoric in other settings, and responded aggressively to critics including Daniel Cormier and Cam Newton. He has also made comparable comments before, including about Brittney Griner. By his own account, he does not “backtrack,” and he has framed his remarks as genuine belief rather than promotional fiction. At the same time, there is clear evidence of strategy. People who know him from wrestling and football describe him as respectful in private but also as a showman who understands “the business side” and knows how to sell fights. Dricus du Plessis’s assessment fits that reading: Hokit seems to be leaning into a heel role associated with figures like Colby Covington, but doing it too forcefully. In MMA, where attention often translates into leverage and bigger opportunities, that incentive matters. So the best reading is not that Hokit is playing a character detached from himself. It is that he is taking traits and beliefs he already has—aggression, provocation, disregard for backlash—and turning them up for maximum effect. That makes the persona partly a business act, but not a fake one.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jun 23

Dricus du Plessis said Josh Hokit’s offensive Michelle Obama comment after the UFC White House event was a mistake that could hurt the unbeaten heavyweight’s rise.
The backlash followed Hokit’s post-fight speech after he dominated Derrick Lewis, with Dana White calling the remark “nasty and false” and Daniel Cormier telling him to “get it together.”
Du Plessis said the 28-year-old is getting in his own way because the act feels forced, urging him to “read the room” and dial back antics that are veering into “weird.”
That criticism came with praise: du Plessis called Hokit a legitimate contender at 10-0, citing four UFC wins and a second-round knockout of Lewis that showed polished striking beyond his wrestling base.
The episode underscores a split in Hokit’s profile — fast-rising heavyweight threat in the cage, self-inflicted risk outside it as he tries to build a persona.