Shucking Oysters: Them’s Fightin’ Words
By Alex Allen
As I keep on saying, “The only exercise I get is shaking my head in disbelief,” especially when I gaze distractedly south of the border. Last weekend, the Ultimate Fighting Championship Freedom 250 was held on the desecrated grounds of the White House, aptly described by Mother Jones magazine as “a corruption-soaked night already teeming with vulgarity.” And yes, it can always get more vulgar and vile, it seems. Just wait and see. So, did you miss anything? The United States Marine Band played all Donald’s favourites, including “The Boys Are Back In Town” and “YMCA.”
After heavyweight Josh Hokit took care of fellow American Derrick Lewis in the fourth fight of the night, Hokit, known for “playing a heel,” went off script: “Hey, shout out to Trump for having the balls to put on some sh-t like this,” he said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. Hokit then praised God, made a crude remark about the mother of Alex Pereira, the Brazilian heavyweight who lost his fight later in the evening, and belted out: “Lastly, Michele Obama is a man. Am I right, America?” Met with a healthy mix of boo’s and cheers, even Rogan seemed taken aback.
Kyle Green, a sports-politics sociologist shared with MJ: “People who know Hokit from his days as a college wrestler say he’s just playing a character in the UFC. But when he gets in front of the mic now, he wears an American flag bandana, and he says that he wants to kick Mexicans out of the country, or he’ll say that he wants to beat up transgender people. He’ll say the most offensive things, leaning into the MAGA fan base. Again, I don’t know if he believes it or not. But it doesn’t really matter, right? Because that’s the thing that sells.”
Hurling a vulgar insult against a black former first lady at a White House event was a choice – and Hokit made it. Former NFL star Robert Griffin III called Hokit a “disgrace.” “It takes a really small man to use his biggest moment to attack a woman by calling her a man,” Griffin added. Sportswriter Alex Kirshner declared the moment was the “most embarrassing moment for an American pro sports league in quite some time.” UFC president and CEO Dana White agreed as well. “I’m completely against saying nasty and false things about people’s families,” he said. But what had White been expecting? Hokit is famous for hurling “nasty and false” insults. Despite the controversy White said,“It was an amazing, experience, this was a one-of-one. It will never happen again.”
Attendees at Trump’s 250th anniversary / 80th birthday spectacle included, a surprisingly animated Melania, son Barron looking bloated and dishevelled, daughter Ivanka, fresh from her global pillaging; baby faced baby maker vice president JD Vance; charismatic Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg; and boxer Tyson Fury. The weekend featured many hallmarks of Donald’s American “patriotism,” including parachuters, military and first responder tributes and even a bald eagle flying over the “thousands of fans.”
And of course, no Trump event is without its advertising deal makers. Paramount Plus, Ram Trucks, Total Wireless and Monster Energy. Anheuser-Busch Budweiser and Bud Light. Jose Cuervo and New Amsterdam Vodka. Cybersecurity company SuperFile. Crypto.com, crypto wallet Exodus and futures market NinjaTrader were all prominently featured. There were gambling brands, Polymarket, Stake and Bet365. Even Starlink had its logo on the UFC mat. Fun fact: Paramount, owned by Trump bed mates billionaire father-son duo Larry and David Ellison, is paying the UFC $7.7 billion over seven years to stream its fights. Who knows what other deals lurk below the slimy surface?
More troubling World Liberty Financial, the far from crypto company founded by Donald Jr., Eric, and others made headlines after the UFC named it the official partner for the event. As the Irish Star reported, it’s just another reminder of just how much blatant corruption surrounds the man and his family. Trump boasted on Truth Social that the night was “PERFECT!” Take a look at the photogenic UFC crowned champions Justin Ray Gaethje and Ciryl Gane and crowd – they look no different than the goons who were involved in the January 6 “insurrection.”
UFC CEO White enthused: “Even for the people that thought this was going to be some big political statement or something, this wasn’t. This was Americans, all Americans celebrating the birthday. For people who tuned in for the first time, because it was at the White House, hopefully they liked the sport. They liked some of the guys’ stories.”
After paying for the $60 million tab, and despite “all the pomp and pageantry, the eye rolls and angst,” White maintained that the UFC is “one-and-done in DC,” which is surprising for a company once dubbed “human cockfighting.”
I really enjoyed your write-up about the shit show in DC; it was like a gladiatorial creep show, the only thing that was really missing. was the execution of Anybody who was a Trump or administration hater- women, men and children. I had to say it truly made me sick, and I’m grateful to you for bringing it up to those who didn’t know about that weekend at his 80th party. Thank you. Nice piece of work.