Topline
Reddit co-founder and investor Alexis Ohanian is pushing back after facing criticism for attending the White House’s UFC Freedom 250 event over the weekend, while also condemning a fighter’s widely shared insult aimed at former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Ohanian was spotted in the crowd Sunday at the UFC event, which was held on President Donald Trump’s birthday. His appearance quickly drew backlash online, with critics questioning why he would attend given his past opposition to the Trump administration’s deportation policies and efforts targeting diversity initiatives.
Addressing the criticism in a post on X late Wednesday, Ohanian said he had been invited by TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of UFC, noting that “I own 5 pro sports teams + a league.”
In the same post, Ohanian also denounced comments made by heavyweight fighter Josh Hokit following his victory. After the match, Hokit told the crowd, “Michelle Obama is a man, am I right America?”
The remark echoed a racist and transphobic conspiracy theory about Obama that has circulated in right-wing circles for years. The comment drew a mixed reaction inside the venue, with some audience members booing while others laughed and cheered.
Ohanian, who is married to tennis champion Serena Williams, called the statement “vile and inappropriate.” He added that he had already left the event by the time Hokit made the comment and said he was pleased UFC CEO Dana White later condemned it.
Ohanian, who is married to Black tennis star Serena Williams, said in his post Wednesday, “Yes, that fighter’s slur about former First Lady Michelle Obama was vile and inappropriate… I was already on my way home when those comments were made and was glad to see (UFC CEO Dana White) condemn them.”
CHIEF CRITICS
Ohanian was slammed online for attending the event, with one Instagram commenter telling him, “I think a lot of us assumed you were one of the ‘good guys.” One of the more popular tweets criticizing him, which had 1.6 million views as of Thursday, read, “Serena William’s husband was at the racist Whitehouse UFC bulls**t. Listened to them say that foul s**t about Michelle Obama and went home to his black family. Not shocked at all.” Another critic pointed out that Williams has been the victim of similar attacks calling her athletic build masculine or manly. “One of the most disappointing guests at the WH yesterday was Alexis Ohanian. The fact that by the end of the fight the fighter said that gross line about MO – something Alexis’ wife Serena William and many black women have had to endure… Don’t associate with these people!!!,” the tweet read. The Daily Beast on Thursday published an article about Ohanian’s rebuttal and called it an “absurd excuse for partying with Trump.”
TANGENT
Ohanian pointed to his resignation from Reddit’s board in 2020 as an example of his commitment to “curb communities for hate and violence.” His resignation was sparked by nationwide racial justice protests following the death of George Floyd, which further exposed longstanding issues of violent and racist communities on the platform. At the time of his resignation, the Reddit board was made up of one woman and four white men. Ohanian urged he be replaced with a Black candidate, and Black tech entrepreneur Michael Seibel took his place.
KEY BACKGROUND
The controversial event on Sunday saw a purpose-built UFC arena set up on the White House lawn to host a series of MMA fights. The fight was billed as partially an 80th birthday celebration for Trump and partially a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. The event had been slammed since its inception as “tacky” and “undignified,” and some critics said Trump was treating the White House “as Caesar treated the Colosseum.” There were dozens of high-profile attendees at the event, including billionaire and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan; Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison; Vice President JD Vance; Secretary of State Marco Rubio; FBI Director Kash Patel; Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth; soccer legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic; star boxer Tyson Fury and WWE superstar Roman Reigns. The most viral moment from the event was far and away Hokit’s comments about Obama, which took place as he was interviewed by UFC commentator and right-wing podcaster Joe Rogan. Dana White called the comments “nonsense” while other figures, including former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) also condemned them.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
If Trump speaks up. The president hasn’t condemned Hokit’s comment and ignored it in a Truth Social post early Monday where he congratulated Hokit and other fighters, calling them “outstanding” and praising their “speed and power.” Calls for him to rebuke the Obama conspiracy are growing, including from Portnoy, who has supported Trump in the past. Trump, who is reported to have shown “a half-smile” in response to the comment, hasn’t personally amplified this specific Obama conspiracy but has lent his platform to other racist attacks on the couple, including posting video clip that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. He did not apologize despite significant blowback.
