The Ben Shapiro Show - June 16, 2026


Dana White Breaks Silence on UFC Heavyweight's Controversial Post-Fight Monologue

Topics
Josh Hockett's controversial remark about Michelle Obama media corruption
Hosted by
Ben Shapiro
Mentioned
Michelle Obama Nick Kristof Joy Reid Robert De Niro Trump Renee Nicole Good Julia Roberts Josh Hockett Dana White Obamas Bette Midler Jane Fonda Bill Gates Sing Out Charlie Statlander Brigitte Macron Candace Owens Liza Minnelli Alex Pereira Sonny Hostin and 12 more
Jimmy Kimmel, MSNBC, and the Total Meltdown Over White House UFC JD Vance Press Tour

Episode Stats


Length

13 minutes

Words per minute

174.9

Word count

2,367

Sentence count

202

Harmful content

Misogyny

9

sentences flagged

Toxicity

35

sentences flagged

Hate speech

8

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

Josh Hokett says Michelle Obama is a man, and we're all mad about it. Things keep getting dumber, somehow, somehow. While most of America enjoyed the spectacle of the UFC fight at the White House on Sunday night, the left came up with increasingly dumb ways to celebrate America's 250th, including singing and rising up while showing patriotism.

Transcript

Transcripts from "The Ben Shapiro Show" are sourced from the Knowledge Fight Interactive Search Tool. Explore them interactively here.
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Toxicity classifications generated with s-nlp/roberta_toxicity_classifier .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
Topics generated with Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct.
Hosts, guests, and mentioned names generated with spaCy (en_core_web_sm), reconciled against Wikidata.
00:00:00.000 Things keep getting dumber somehow. 1.00
00:00:01.000 The amount of dumbness, stupidity, it's almost biblical these days. 0.99
00:00:05.000 While most of America enjoyed the spectacle of the UFC fight at the White House Sunday night, the left came up with increasingly dumb ways to celebrate America's 250th, including singing and rising up and rising up while singing and singing while rising up. 1.00
00:00:18.000 They have a weird way of showing patriotism.
00:00:19.000 Fair warning.
00:00:20.000 The freakouts over a fighter calling Michelle Obama a man were not the cringiest part.
00:00:24.000 So the dumb controversy of the day arises over the big UFC event that the president held on Sunday night.
00:00:33.000 What is the controversy? 0.94
00:00:34.000 Well, the controversy is that a fighter named Josh Hokett said that Michelle Obama is a man. 0.96
00:00:41.000 Now, this guy is apparently kind of like a WWE style clown. 0.93
00:00:45.000 This is his shtick. 0.84
00:00:47.000 He pretends to be drunk at weigh ins and pretends to throw up on himself, he's deliberately provocative.
00:00:52.000 That's what he does.
00:00:53.000 So here he was.
00:00:57.000 And lastly, Michelle Obama is a man.
00:01:02.000 Am I right, America?
00:01:07.000 I mean, and I guess we're supposed to all be very super duper upset.
00:01:07.000 Okay.
00:01:11.000 Like, is it great?
00:01:12.000 Is it great that in America 250, a unifying event, you have fighters shouting that Michelle Obama is a man?
00:01:16.000 Michelle Obama, by the way, is not a man.
00:01:18.000 She has biological children. 0.99
00:01:20.000 This is silly. 0.99
00:01:20.000 Okay. 0.99
00:01:21.000 But Dana White put out a response.
00:01:23.000 Anyway, quote Unfortunately, one moment threatens to overshadow the positive takeaways from the evening.
00:01:28.000 After heavyweight Josh Hokett took care of fellow American Derek Lewis in the fourth fight of the night, knocking him out in the second round, Hokett, known for playing a heel, went off script.
00:01:35.000 And then he quotes him.
00:01:38.000 Says he 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 that line about Michelle Obama.
00:01:46.000 The crowd reacted with a mix of laughter and groans, says Dana White.
00:01:50.000 Joe Rogan, who you can see there in the video, did not address Hokus' slur in the moment or during the rest of the night's fight.
00:01:55.000 I understand the Obamas are public figures, but I'm completely against saying nasty and false things about people's families, said White. 0.56
00:02:01.000 Everyone knows my position on free speech, but I hate that kind of nonsense. 0.52
00:02:04.000 Okay, fair enough. 0.98
00:02:05.000 But, you know, people are going to go nuts because apparently, if you make a dumb joke about Michelle Obama, it's about slavery or something. 0.97
00:02:11.000 Here's the views of Sonny Hostin. 0.86
00:02:15.000 I just, I do want to address the derogatory slur made about the former First Lady Michelle Obama because I think it's important to address.
00:02:23.000 And we won't dignify what was said by repeating it.
00:02:27.000 Yeah.
00:02:27.000 But you should look it up.
00:02:29.000 And I think the reason that it's important is because for a long time, and the roots are in slavery, black women have been slurred and made to feel that they were unattractive, made to feel that they were masculine, made to feel.
00:02:46.000 That they were, they didn't have the femininity that a white woman would have.
00:02:50.000 And so there's this intersectionality between race, racism, and sexism that was on full display at the White House.
00:02:59.000 Wow.
00:02:59.000 So it was about racism and sexism.
00:03:00.000 Wait until she finds out that Candace Owens, a black woman, has spent the last several years suggesting and saying openly that Brigitte Macron, a very white lady, also has testicles. 1.00
00:03:10.000 It must be because of slavery or something. 1.00
00:03:13.000 And all this is super dumb. 1.00
00:03:14.000 It's really stupid. 1.00
00:03:15.000 But the pearl clutching is, I think, somehow even dumber. 1.00
00:03:19.000 The world just keeps getting dumber. 0.97
00:03:21.000 I don't know that, you know, I'm a very religious person. 0.63
00:03:24.000 Sometimes I have my doubts that God was right in canceling all the floods after the Noah story.
00:03:29.000 Because it feels like we may need a couple.
00:03:32.000 Things are not great.
00:03:34.000 You know, Charlemagne, the God, he's not actually a God, he's a radio host.
00:03:38.000 Nice guy.
00:03:39.000 But here he was praising the Obamas because they were filled with dignity and class.
00:03:43.000 I mean, the selfie stick president was filled with dignity and class.
00:03:48.000 All you do when you bring the Obamas up. Is remind people of what is currently missing from the White House.
00:03:55.000 KC, the Obamas set a standard for decency and class and poise and intelligence in the White House.
00:04:04.000 Okay.
00:04:04.000 That no longer exists now.
00:04:06.000 All right.
00:04:06.000 You didn't have to agree with the Obamas politically to recognize that they were a masterclass in dignity.
00:04:12.000 All right.
00:04:12.000 Truly grace undefined.
00:04:15.000 Now that bar's in hell.
00:04:16.000 I'm going to disagree.
00:04:18.000 There's Barack Obama who was doing interviews with ladies who bathed in Froot Loops and was doing the selfie stick presidency and inviting celebrities there all the time to the White House, some of whom were doing pop while in the White House and all the rest of it.
00:04:30.000 And the sort of rose colored glasses that exist with regards to the Obamas, one of the more annoying things about modern American politics.
00:04:37.000 All right.
00:04:38.000 Meanwhile, while all of this was happening, the left was becoming very upset about President Trump.
00:04:44.000 It was time.
00:04:45.000 It was time.
00:04:46.000 On Sunday night, as the UFC fight was happening on the lawn of the White House, the left decided it was time for their own counter programming.
00:04:55.000 They were going to sing.
00:04:57.000 Yes, it was time to sing.
00:05:02.000 Rise Up, Sing Out, a concert for the First Amendment.
00:05:07.000 And it starred Broadway Inspirational Voices and Julia Roberts and Bette Midler and Joy Reid, famous for her singing, Joy Reid.
00:05:17.000 And also the Singing Resistance, also the Rude Mechanical Orchestra, which sounds like an orchestra that both plays the computer and farts.
00:05:28.000 And Jane Fonda, famous for her singing as well.
00:05:31.000 Rise Up, Sing Out, a concert for the First Amendment. 0.65
00:05:34.000 Well, here was Jane Fonda. 0.99
00:05:36.000 Rising up, singing out. 0.62
00:05:39.000 All she was missing here was the North Vietnamese, the Viet Cong, anti aircraft guns aimed at Americans.
00:05:46.000 The committee was relaunched last October to bring together the entertainment industry at this moment when our democracy is in peril.
00:05:55.000 In the face of what's happening, we need our industry to be unified, activated, and unwilling to engage in anticipatory obedience.
00:06:07.000 Well, she's wearing a glitter shirt that says resist on it. 0.95
00:06:12.000 And that was some great singing.
00:06:15.000 I will admit that the site, like the website for this thing, is a little long.
00:06:19.000 It's riseupsingout.com or something, which actually, when you put it all together, when you smush it all together, tends to read riseup sin gout.
00:06:30.000 So it's an anti gout foundation as well.
00:06:33.000 Get some more on this in a second. 0.64
00:06:34.000 First, I'll be honest here being in debt, it really sucks.
00:06:37.000 I have lots of friends who have fallen into debt and it just wrecks your life.
00:06:40.000 I know a lot of people in this audience.
00:06:42.000 Are you doing everything that you're supposed to do?
00:06:43.000 You're working hard, paying bills, making minimum payments every month, and somehow the balance barely moves.
00:06:48.000 That's because the system isn't designed to get you out of debt, it's designed to keep you in debt.
00:06:52.000 That's why I want to tell you about PDS Debt.
00:06:54.000 They can reduce up to half of what you owe on credit cards, personal loans, and medical bills.
00:06:57.000 It starts with a free 30 second assessment at PDSdebt.comslash Shapiro.
00:07:02.000 PDS Debt has customized options for people struggling with credit card debt, personal loans, collections, or medical bills.
00:07:07.000 They use AI and data to go beyond the numbers and personalize solutions that can help you save money and finally get ahead.
00:07:12.000 In fact, They may be able to reduce up to half of what you owe and help consolidate multiple payments into one lower monthly payment.
00:07:18.000 There's no minimum credit score required.
00:07:20.000 Checking your options has zero credit impact.
00:07:22.000 The best part it starts with a free personalized assessment that takes about 30 seconds, and savings can start the same day you complete it.
00:07:28.000 PDS Debt is the top rated company in the industry with thousands of five star reviews and an A rating from the Better Business Bureau.
00:07:34.000 So if you feel like you're working just as hard every month to stay in the same place, see what options are available to you.
00:07:39.000 Get your free 30 second personalized assessment today at pdsdebt.comslash Shapiro.
00:07:45.000 Joy Reed.
00:07:46.000 Is also very upset, but is also singing.
00:07:49.000 I don't know.
00:07:50.000 Is this singing?
00:07:51.000 I feel like there's not enough singing.
00:07:53.000 There's a lot of rising up.
00:07:54.000 I mean, there's not even that much rising up, right?
00:07:56.000 I mean, they're just kind of talking to him.
00:07:57.000 But there's a lot of rising up and not so much singing.
00:08:00.000 Here was Joy Reid not singing.
00:08:02.000 And it says behind her on a poster board, the world is watching.
00:08:05.000 But I feel like no one was actually watching.
00:08:07.000 I don't know who is the world.
00:08:08.000 Is there a guy named the world?
00:08:09.000 It's like World Be Free is somewhere watching.
00:08:12.000 Who is watching?
00:08:14.000 Anyway, here's Joy Reid.
00:08:17.000 ABC paid Trump to settle a bogus lawsuit.
00:08:20.000 Paramount paid him.
00:08:22.000 Jeff Bezos ripped Democracy Dies in Darkness off of the Mass Head of the Washington Post.
00:08:27.000 Post and handed Melania a $40 million documentary bribe for a film that nobody but the cult even watched.
00:08:35.000 Trump, he himself posted on his Timu Twitter that my former employer did his bidding when they fired me.
00:08:44.000 This is corporate media on its knees.
00:08:47.000 A handful of billionaires consolidating local stations, newspapers, national networks, turning American journalism into what they hope will become a U.S. version of North Korea. 0.61
00:08:56.000 You know, what's hilarious about this is that she was fired from MS Now before the Ellisons. 0.63
00:09:00.000 Took over CNN or any of these other assets. 0.56
00:09:04.000 And MS Now is still run by a company called Versant, which is not a right wing company.
00:09:08.000 And they still fired her. 0.51
00:09:10.000 So media consolidation. 0.94
00:09:12.000 By the way, corruption in media.
00:09:15.000 Amazing report from Semaphore.
00:09:16.000 That's Ben Smith's outlet.
00:09:19.000 Nick Kristoff of the New York Times, a horrible columnist.
00:09:22.000 You'll remember Nick Kristoff from the Dogs Are Raping the Palestinians story?
00:09:28.000 Well, now it turns out.
00:09:31.000 That Kristoff did not make a bunch of disclosures because he was supposed to make disclosures whenever he wrote about the financial supporters of his campaign.
00:09:43.000 And he didn't do that in at least a dozen instances.
00:09:46.000 According to Semaphore, previous political donations made by some people that Kristoff mentioned in his columns should have been made more clear to readers.
00:09:53.000 Times spokesman Charlie Statlander said in an email Editors from Times Opinion are reviewing these articles to determine further clarifications for.
00:10:00.000 Oh, good, more clarifications.
00:10:01.000 So many clarifications.
00:10:04.000 So, for example, Nick Kristoff wrote favorably of Bill Gates and his nonprofit on a bunch of occasions, neglecting to mention that Bill and Melinda had donated a combined $100,000 to his failed campaign.
00:10:17.000 So, yeah, media corruption.
00:10:19.000 It only exists on the right, supposedly.
00:10:21.000 Well, there were more performers.
00:10:22.000 Robert De Niro showed up.
00:10:25.000 And again, he didn't sing, which again, I would have been amused.
00:10:27.000 If Robert De Niro sang, I would be a little amused.
00:10:30.000 He did not sing.
00:10:32.000 So, there was no New York, New York.
00:10:34.000 With Liza Minnelli here.
00:10:38.000 When I hear Trump say, as he did a few days ago, I don't think about Americans' financial situation, not even a little bit. 0.99
00:10:47.000 I say, shut the f up.
00:10:49.000 On Wednesday, Trump said, I love the inflation. 1.00
00:10:53.000 Now say it with me shut the f up. 0.99
00:10:57.000 Wow, so much resistance and lots of old white people in that audience. 1.00
00:11:01.000 A lot of old white people. 0.77
00:11:03.000 And then Robert De Niro says that he actually doesn't love America because America is an abusive spouse. 0.99
00:11:08.000 He is a very, very rich idiot who says words off a teleprompter, but he doesn't love America because America hasn't been good to him in some way. 0.99
00:11:20.000 The phrase, we all love our country, stuck in my throat because our country isn't so lovable right now. 1.00
00:11:29.000 I hate to say it, but loving our country is starting to sound like an abused spouse saying they love their abuser.
00:11:36.000 Why isn't America?
00:11:37.000 I mean, I guess according to Robert De Niro, Trump is America.
00:11:41.000 Even if you hate Trump, can't you like the country?
00:11:44.000 Julia Roberts showed up as well to praise Renee Good.
00:11:47.000 Renee Good, of course, was the Ice Watch resister who was in her car resisting arrest, trying to obstruct operations, drove her car, kind of toward an officer, under disputed circumstances, was shot. 0.99
00:12:02.000 Here's Julia Roberts doing her thing. 1.00
00:12:04.000 And not enough singing. 0.98
00:12:05.000 I mean, if Emm Promise Singing at Rise Up Sing Gout, then I want singing at the Gout fundraiser.
00:12:10.000 Come on.
00:12:12.000 Renee Nicole Good is not a symbol.
00:12:16.000 She is an American woman.
00:12:18.000 A queer woman who is doing the very best she could do to be good in an unjust world.
00:12:26.000 What does her being gay have to do then?
00:12:27.000 And I am honored to celebrate her life and her legacy tonight because the life she gave is our responsibility to carry.
00:12:38.000 Well, there was someone who sang, which I'm excited about because, frankly, too much talking, not enough singing at the Gout Festival.
00:12:44.000 Bette Midler showed up.
00:12:46.000 And no, she didn't do the last number from Gypsy, but she did sing.
00:12:53.000 And it was not great.
00:12:57.000 Are you fascists bound to lose?
00:13:00.000 You're bound to lose, you fascists bound to lose. 0.97
00:13:04.000 Hey there, all you fascists, let me put you straight. 1.00
00:13:09.000 When you come for the rest of us, we'll fight you at the gate and you will lose, you fascists bound to lose. 0.99
00:13:18.000 I regret asking for it. 0.63
00:13:20.000 I have regrets.
00:13:22.000 What an amazing video you just watched!
00:13:24.000 Wasn't that amazing?
00:13:25.000 Well, you know, if you think so, head on over to dailywire.comslash subscribe to watch the full show ad free or check out this crazy story here.