Much was made of Josh Hokit’s post-fight interview at UFC Freedom 250 after he made a controversial remark about the former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Hokit once again put on a stellar performance and backed up his trash talk with a fourth win in the last six months. Late into the second round, his pressure proved too much for Derrick Lewis, as referee Herb Dean had to step in and bring an end to the ground and pound.
Hokit’s always been a divisive figure, but for many, his actions at UFC Freedom 250 were a step too far. He was afforded the opportunity to fight in front of the White House and controversially used his platform to make an offensive slur about Barack Obama’s wife.
The question now is, will he face any further action?
Amber Searls via Imagn Images
Upon receiving the microphone from Joe Rogan, Hokit, like he always does, cut his on-the-nose promo, only this time, he took aim at Michelle Obama.
“Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?” he said. The controversial words sparked outrage, with UFC commentator Daniel Cormier very critical of the situation, saying: “It was an unnecessary shot on her. That’s the type of statement that divides. I absolutely hated that.”
For many, the event was a celebration of America’s history, with the White House a perfect backdrop for the occasion. A time to forget about the division that plagues everyday life and enjoy the occasion. However, Hokit’s message seemingly went against this, and as a result, has led to plenty of frustration.
While nothing is confirmed, speculation of Obama suing the fighter was sparked online after the interview, with a potential defamation case in the pipeline. However, there is no evidence to show they could go this route, with no confirmed plans by any representatives or major news organisation.
The former fighter has spoken out about the controversy that took place in front of the White House.
UFC Has Faced Problems Before
This isn’t the first occasion where a UFC fighter has been embroiled in controversy following a poor choice of words.
Back in January 2025, Bryce Mitchell caught the headlines for all the wrong reasons after saying Hitler was a ‘good guy.’ In response to this, UFC President Dana White said they won’t take further action due to freedom of speech. However, he also completely condemned the words, saying: “That’s the problem with the internet and social media. You provide a platform to a lot of dumb and ignorant people.”
Sean Strickland was also in controversy leading up to the UFC Freedom 250 event, as he claimed he wasn’t allowed to attend the event due to his words on Israel. Now, it’s Hokit who is in the firing line, and could he face further consequences? The words were broadcast to millions of people watching the event, and could be seen as unfairly taking aim at Obama’s reputation.
It’s unclear whether they will eventually respond, and what actions they may take, but as things stand, they are opting to ignore the comment and not seek legal action.
Despite being the gold standard of MMA promotions, the UFC has always been criticised for how much they pay their fighters. It’s why we have seen many figures look for boxing fights or other promotions, where they can earn much more.
However, the UFC is now in the Paramount era, and with the $7.7 billion deal signed, a lot was made about whether the fighters would also see a substantial increase to their pay.
While we haven’t seen the long-term affects of the move to Paramount, we now have the information regarding the fighter’s earnings so far this year. The earnings are the salaries from the fights they’ve had this calendar year, with bonuses also added on.
Highest-paid UFC fighters in 2026 [15-11]
Rank
Fighter
2026 earnings
15.
Paulo Costa
$1,021,000
14.
Sean Strickland
$1,082,000
13.
Ciryl Gane
$1,225,000
12.
Paddy Pimblett
$1,532,000
11.
Max Holloway
$1,542,000
10 Carlos Ulberg
Total earnings: $1,582,000
Coming into 2026, Carlos Ulberg was riding the highs of beating both Jan Blachowicz and Dominick Reyes. At UFC 327, he took on Jiri Prochazka for the recently vacated UFC light heavyweight championship.
While he did end up claiming gold, it came in possibly the most bittersweet way. Just two minutes into his first shot at the title, he got into an awkward exchange with Prochazka, who ended up tearing his ACL in his right leg in the process.
Three fighters on the card broke the £1 million mark…
Despite this, he continued fighting and took more damage, only this time it was to the uncompromised left leg. It seemed like the fight was only going one way; however, Ulberg, against the odds, landed a pitch-perfect left hook to drop Prochazka. He pounced on him with an onslaught of ground and pound before Marc Goddard stopped the fight.
One of the all-time great title wins, though, it seems like the 35-year-old will now be spending a while on the sidelines, and may never be the same again after suffering such a severe injury.
9 Sean O’Malley
Total earnings: $1,671,000
Amber Searls via Imagn Images
Despite being out of the title picture for the early stages of 2026, Sean O’Malley‘s stardom is still very well reflected through his earnings. He has already fought twice this year, picking up wins over Song Yadong and Aiemann Zahabi.
Many analysts and fans may have doubted O’Malley, especially after those two defeats to Merab Dvalishvili. However, he’s proved that he is still one step ahead of the contenders, with two impressive displays. The finish against Zahabi certainly stood out, as the moment went viral due to the salute, and reminded all of his power.
Big money was earned at UFC 324 as it was the first event with $100,000 bonuses on the line.
O’Malley hadn’t managed a knockout win since 2023, when he defeated Aljamain Sterling to clinch UFC gold.
8 Jiri Prochazka
Total earnings: $1,832,000
Another half of UFC 327’s main event is on the list, though, this time it’s Prochazka, who suffered his third defeat in a UFC title fight.
After suffering a second loss to Alex Pereira, he reacted in the best way possible, picking up wins over Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. With Poatan’s move to heavyweight, it seemed like the stars would finally align for Prochazka.
He made a strong start to the first round, with his leg kicks slowly but surely damaging Ulberg’s left leg. After the ACL tear, he was in full control and was even pointing to the ground for them to exchange in the pocket.
Ulberg strayed away, and eventually caught him with a wonderful left-hook. Once again, Prochazka was finished early on, but this time in a fight that would have rewarded patience.
7 Diego Lopes
Total earnings: $2,032,000
It’s already been a very busy year for Diego Lopes. From suffering another defeat to Alexander Volkanovski, to reigniting his momentum with a win at the White House over Steve Garcia.
His activity has certainly been rewarded by the company, especially as he weighed in as the back-up fighter for UFC Freedom 250’s main event between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.
Lopes will be eagerly anticipating the result of the likely match-up between Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev. If the Russian can get it done, then Lopes’ dreams of becoming featherweight champion look much brighter.
6 Charles Oliveira
Total earnings: $2,282,000
After being brutally finished by Topuria just last year, Charles Oliveria has got his career back on track with back-to-back wins. He beat Mateusz Gamrot last year, and in 2026, got the better of Max Holloway.
He claimed the BMF title along the way, with his grappling completely neutralising Holloway. It wasn’t the most exciting fight, but it was enough to get the job done.
The finances behind UFC 326 have been released and the victor of the main event took home a lot more than his opponent.
His performance in the main event, mixed with his popularity, has given him strong earnings, far exceeding Holloway’s. Oliveira is now calling for a rematch with Gaethje for the lightweight championship. He beat the American when they squared off in 2022.
5 Ilia Topuria
Total earnings: $2,500,000
Amber Searls via Imagn Images
El Matador’s return to the Octagon after almost a year out couldn’t have ended in a worse way. He suffered severe damage, and ultimately tasted defeat for the first time in his career.
Gaethje put on a show, and inflicted enough damage for the fight to be stopped in between rounds. Topuria did have his moments during the bout, especially the period in the second round where he was unloading shots to the body.
However, it wasn’t enough, and he is now out for the rest of the year due to the injuries sustained. Both his eyes were shut during the fight, and could have led to a doctor’s stoppage. He will need plenty of time to recover before returning to the cage.
4 Alexander Volkanovski
Total earnings: $2,692,000
It has been another strong year for Volkanovski, as he defended his featherweight strap for the first time since he was beaten by Topuria.
The Australian beat Lopes for the second time, proving that he’s still one of the best in the game even at 37 years old, and after facing the adversity of losses to Topuria and Islam Makhachev. It’s unclear when we will next see him in the Octagon, though, Evloev is the likely opponent.
3 Khamzat Chimaev
Total earnings: $3,092,000
Khamzat Chimaev is the first fighter on this list to break the $3 million barrier, and it’s no surprise after the hype going into his title fight against Sean Strickland.
Both fighters were going back-and-forth, overstepping the mark with trash talk about religion and family. It ultimately sold the fight to the millions and made it an eagerly anticipated affair.
The numbers have been crunched, and the full earnings have been released.
In the end, Strickland picked up the win on the scorecards, as his boxing and relentless nature were all too much for Chimaev. He was coming off a tough weight cut, which was perhaps a reason for his struggles. Due to this, a move up to light heavyweight seems likely in the future.
2 Justin Gaethje
Total earnings: $5,817,000
As one of the most active fighters of the year, it was a given that Gaethje would be on this list. He dominated Paddy Pimblett in January before putting a beating on Topuria to capture the elusive undisputed UFC gold.
Against Topuria, he was rewarded with both the Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses, which amounted to over $800,000. These earnings have almost become common place for him, having won 17 bonuses in 16 fights.
A lot of money was spent by the UFC, not just on the White House.
While he isn’t likely to return to the Octagon this year, both performances completely shocked the world, and now put him in a great position going forward.
1 Alex Pereira
Total earnings: $10,000,000
Amber Searls via Imagn Images
Despite topping this list, Pereira has had a far from ideal year in the Octagon. He took on Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title, a chance to further cement himself in the history books. A chance to become the first-ever three-weight world champion.
However, it didn’t go his way. From the off, Gane’s movement and mobility seemed far superior as he was bouncing in and out of the pocket, clipping Pereira with big shots along the way. He eventually dropped the Brazilian before landing a flurry of shots. The fight was soon stopped as the barrage of strikes proved too much.
A bitterly disappointing year for Poatan, especially when considering that he probably won’t be back in the Octagon this calendar year.
Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are both looking to make significant changes to their squads this summer following disappointing seasons, with the former now targeting a move for FC Koln winger Said El Mala, according to GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs.
Tottenham have been heavily linked with a move for the exciting German attacker in recent days, and now they have been joined by Liverpool in the race for the 19-year-old.
The Reds are determined to add to their frontline following the big exit of Mohamed Salah this summer, with a deal already completed to sign Victor Munoz from Osasuna out of nowhere.
It was a £34m transfer that shocked Newcastle United too, with the Magpies believing that they were about to sign the Spain international, before Liverpool’s late hijack.
The Merseyside outfit aren’t done there though, as Andoni Iraola looks to add more pace to a frontline that currently includes Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak, Rio Ngumoha, Federico Chiesa and Hugo Ekitike, although the Frenchman is likely to be unavailable until 2027 because of injury.
Liverpool have identified RB Leipzig wonderkid Yan Diomande as their top target to replace Salah, but they have other targets in mind in case they can’t land the Ivorian.
However, the Reds still need to reach an agreement on a fee with Leipzig, who are determined to keep the Ivory Coast international.
They have already rejected a £87m bid from Liverpool for their winger, with Fabrizio Romano suggesting that a bid north of £100m could be considered.
However, Jacobs has confirmed that the Merseysiders have alternative targets in case they can’t find an agreement, including Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola and Koln’s Said El Mala.
Brighton and Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh and Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo are the other names on the shortlist.
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Liverpool Eyeing Double Midfielder Deal
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Liverpool are also looking at other areas of the pitch for new arrivals too, including in central midfield.
The Reds are expecting to lose Curtis Jones this summer, with the Englishman continuing to be linked with a move to Serie A, while doubts have been raised over the future of Alexis Mac Allister.
The Merseysiders are considering central midfield options as a result, with Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton a player they have big appreciation for, according to GMS sources.
Liverpool have also held meetings over a move for Morocco sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi, according to Fabrizio Romano, with the 18-year-old exploding onto the world scene at the 2026 World Cup after racking up almost 100 senior appearances for Lille.
The UFC is a cut-throat business. Lose a few fights in a row and your time in the company could be over. Fail to get the fans on side or get a reaction from the audience, and you could see your contract terminated.
