Mixed martial artist Josh Hokit offered a brazen non-apology while talking about calling former first lady Michelle Obama a “man” at the White House’s UFC Freedom 250 event earlier this month.

“I thought I was giving her a compliment,” Hokit smirked during an interview with sports journalist Ariel Helwani.

When Helwani said no one read his remarks that way, Hokit doubled down and told him, “Michelle Obama being a man... It’s like, she knows how to deal with adversity. She knows how to work hard like a man when the times get tough.”

Asked why the former first lady came to mind right after he had won his heavyweight bout, the fighter immediately undermined his first point.

“I thought it was a perfect opportunity to show the world how great this country is with freedom of speech,” he began to ramble. “You go somewhere [else] and you say something like that and you die. And I’m not suicidal, by the way. I’m in good spirits. I’m a little under the weather right now, but other than that, I’m good.”

“And so in other parts of the world, you say something like that, and you’re not here to speak to Ariel Helwani, you know,” Hokit continued. “So yeah, I don’t know there’s a ways... there’s a few answers to that. There’s a certain side that pokes at another side, and there’s no outrage there, and so I thought it was a perfect time to take a jab.”

Asked if he had any regrets, the fighter went back to unapologetic mode, telling his host, “You’ll never hear me backtrack from what I say.”

The MMA athlete was full of bluster after baiting controversy at President Donald Trump’s fight-filled birthday celebration, turning to Instagram afterward to call himself “strong and courageous.”

While Hokit seemed proud of himself, UFC CEO Dana White expressed disapproval when reached for comment about the debacle.

“I understand that the Obamas are public figures, but I’m completely against saying nasty and false things about people’s families,” he told Time magazine via text. “Everyone knows my position on free speech but I hate that kind of nonsense.”

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