A professional lip reader has revealed what Donald Trump allegedly said to UFC fighter Josh Hokit after the athlete made controversial remarks about former First Lady Michelle Obama. The US president, who celebrated his 80th birthday on Sunday, was captured speaking with him during the historic UFC Freedom 250 event – the first UFC fight ever hosted at the White House.

The unprecedented event was part of the Trump administration’s commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary. As anticipated, hosting a UFC bout in the nation’s most iconic residence produced several headline-hitting moments. Of those incidents, perhaps the most eyebrow-raising was when Hokit shocked viewers with his post-fight comments after defeating Derrick Lewis on the South Lawn.

Speaking to podcaster Joe Rogan, he said: “Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?” Rogan chose not to engage with the statement, simply responding: “Ladies and gentlemen, Josh Hokit.” Watch his bizarre interview below:

Lip Reader Reveals What Trump Said To Josh Hokit Amid Obama Slur

After his win over Derrick Lewis, Hokit was spotted chatting with Trump, who stood ringside. Lip reader Jeremy Freeman has now shared his interpretation of Trump’s words to the fighter. According to the Mirror, after Hokit placed a chain around Trump’s neck, the president responded:

The event, though divisive, resonated strongly with MAGA supporters. Secretary of State Marco Rubio even drew parallels between hosting the fights and the historic 1969 moon landings. He stated: “When President Kennedy announced that we were going to put a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth, no one thought that was possible, and we did it.”

“We are a nation founded on doing what no one else dared to do, and no one else aspired to do. And at some level, that’s what this whole company, what UFC has been.”

How UFC 250 Unfolded As Ilia Topuria Loses Undefeated Streak

Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The main event saw Ilia Topuria lose his undefeated record and his lightweight championship against 37-year-old Justin Gaethje, as the American forced the Georgian to quit on his stool and not answer the bell for the fifth and final round.

At heavyweight, Alex Pereira lost his debut in the division to former champion Ciryl Gane, who took home the interim championship in the process. The co-main event was the third successive second-round stoppage on the night, following on from Sean O’Malley’s victory over Aiemann Zahabi and Josh Hokit’s continuation of his undefeated record with him defeating Derrick Lewis.

The opening bouts of the night also saw premature endings. To start off the show, Diego Lopes stopped Steve Garcia in just under eight minutes. What came next was Bo Nickal and Mauricio Ruffy needing less than five to dispatch Kyle Daukaus and Michael Chandler, respectively.

The biggest ever World Cup tournament is well under way and one of the biggest winners in the opening round of matches has been Sweden.

Graham Potter’s men were on fire as they ripped Tunisia apart in their Group E encounter in Philadelphia, with Premier League stars Yasin Ayari (2), Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak bagging four of the five goals in a 5-1 demolition job.

Had it not been for Germany’s 7-1 thrashing of minnows Curacao hours beforehand, the Swedes would have been celebrating the biggest victory of the early stages of the competition.

Former Chelsea and West Ham boss Potter only took over as head coach of the national team in October, with the sole task of getting them into the World Cup, following a dismal spell in charge by Dane Jon Dahl Tomasson.

If it was so dismal, I hear you scream, how did they make it to the World Cup Finals? Well that is a very good question to those who do not follow the qualification process game-by-game.

When it came to the qualifying process for the 2026 World Cup, the UEFA pathway was split into 12 groups with the group winners all advancing to the World Cup Finals. The 12 runners-up were then paired together in a play-off round, with the six winners also making it through to the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Sweden were in Group B of qualifying and actually finished bottom of the four-nation table, failing to win a single match, picking up just two points in their six matches from draws home and away with Slovenia. They lost home and away to Switzerland and Kosovo, leading to Tomasson getting the sack.

So how did they make it to the World Cup?

Well, the UEFA qualification process does not just come down to those groups. It brings in the best performers from the UEFA Nations League competition too.

Nations League plays a part in World Cup qualification

Twenty spots are available to UEFA nations, with the 12 group runners-up in qualifying joined by the four best performing countries in the 2024/25 Nations League campaign that have not already qualified for the tournament or the play-offs.

As a result, Sweden’s impressive performance in the Nations League – they finished top of Group C1 and were promoted to the B League, got them into the play-off round. They were joined by fellow Nations League group winners Romania, North Macedonia and Northern Ireland.

But unlike those other three nations, Sweden, under Potter, beat Ukraine in the play-off semi-final and then Poland, who had finished second behind the Netherlands in Group G of World Cup qualifying, 3-2 in the final to secure their place in the States, Canada and Mexico.

And they’re certainly taking their opportunity with both hands. Sweden play Japan and the Netherlands in their next two group games, knowing that they only have to be one of the eight best third-placed teams in the tournament to qualify for the knockout stages.