On a day that the Weather Channel forecast “rain, 30 mph winds and mosquitos on the White House lawn,” the weather broke the UFC’s way. After a 30-minute delay, the card went forward uninterrupted. The United States Marine Band played catchy live tunes, putting its spin on ditties like “The Boys Are Back In Town” and “YMCA.” Military heroes and first responders from all over the country accompanied fighters to the Octagon.
The White House backdrop, fighters walking out of the Oval Office and down the West Wing for their introductions, the shots of the Washington monument, the massive crowd watching the fight together on the Ellipse, the fireworks: it all made for a compelling sports production.
Unfortunately, one moment threatens to overshadow the positive takeaways from the evening. After heavyweight Josh Hokit took care of fellow American Derrick Lewis in the fourth fight of the night, knocking him out in the second round, 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, in the Octagon, with Rogan. He 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 finished his monologue with, “lastly, Michele Obama is a man. Am I right, America?”
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