Tag: Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan: Dustin Poirier better be ready for ‘f*cking killer’ Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299

“You look into that guy’s eyes, there’s hell going on behind those eyes,” Joe Rogan said of Benoit Saint-Denis ahead of UFC 299.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] hopes [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] is aware of [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag]’ ferocity.

Poirier (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) meets rising contender Saint-Denis (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in a five-round co-main event at UFC 299 on March 9 from Kaseya Center in Miami. Boasting a 100 percent finish rate, Saint-Denis has stopped his past five opponents, most recently a Performance of the Night head-kick knockout of Matt Frevola at UFC 295. Rogan raved about the Frenchman’s abilities ahead of the biggest fight of his career.

“This is the big fight, Dustin Poirier and Benoit Saint-Denis,” Rogan said during the UFC 297 episode of his Fight Companion on Spotify. “That’s the big fight. That Saint-Denis guy is a f*cking killer. He’s such a killer, that guy’s such a scary guy.”

Saint-Denis, known as “The God of War,” opened up as a slight favorite over Poirier. Although Poirier is the far more experienced and accomplished fighter, Rogan expects it to be a tough fight for the former interim lightweight champion.

“I’m telling you, that Benoit Saint-Denis is next level,” Rogan said. “He’s got furnaces going in his eyes. You look into that guy’s eyes, there’s hell going on behind those eyes. He’s built for it. So, him vs. Dustin is very exciting, and Dustin better be ready to go. You better be ready to go with that guy, because he’s going to try and make a name off of him.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Joe Rogan surprised judges awarded Dricus Du Plessis win over Sean Strickland at UFC 297

Joe Rogan didn’t expect Dricus Du Plessis to beat Sean Strickland when the scorecards were being read out.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] didn’t expect [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] to beat [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] when the scorecards were being read out.

Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) edged out Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) to claim the middleweight title in Saturday’s UFC 297 main event at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Strickland started out strong when he pumped out his jab to full effect. But as the fight went on, Du Plessis rallied, doing enough to sway the judges in his favor. The outcome yielded mixed reactions, and Rogan appeared to think Strickland should have won.

“Wow, interesting, very interesting,” Rogan said on his “JRE Fight Companion.” “I wonder how the people online feel about that because we’re not scoring it while we’re watching it, we’re just having fun. Were we wrong?… Listen, fourth round, he (Du Plessis) did awesome. How about him vs. Khamzat (Chimaev), UFC 300?”

All three judges agreed on the scoring of every round except the third, which was the deciding factor for Du Plessis. Rogan thinks Strickland had the stronger close to the fight.

“I definitely think (Du Plessis) won the fourth, but do you think he won the fifth? I don’t know, man,” Rogan said. “The fifth seemed like it was Sean was landing more shots.”

During the post-fight news conference, Dana White was asked about what’s next for Du Plessis, and if UFC 300 is a possibility for his first title defense. Du Plessis called out former champion Israel Adesanya, but if Adesanya isn’t ready, Rogan wouldn’t mind seeing a rematch between Du Plessis and Strickland.

“Why not? If Adesanya can’t make it, listen, that’s a good fight,” Rogan said. “A rematch? That’s a good fight. That’s a very quick turnaround for either one of these guys, though. If you have a split decision loss, that is one of the best indications that it was a close fight. The kind of fights you want to see a rematch on are the ones that are close fights. If Izzy can’t, that as a rematch is very compelling.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Jon Anik hopes Joe Rogan enters UFC Hall of Fame, ‘will fight like hell’ for Tony Ferguson

UFC commentator Jon Anik makes the case for Joe Rogan, Bruce Buffer, Tony Ferguson, and more to join the UFC Hall of Fame.

[autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] hopes to eventually see the development of an independent MMA Hall of Fame, but in the meantime, he understands the UFC Hall of Fame is the premier place for career recognition.

Anik, the UFC’s lead play-by-play commentator, thinks there are a few shoo-ins for the UFC Hall of Fame as soon as the 2024 class and also in the years beyond.

Although there are no true guidelines for the selections of who joins the modern-era wing, pioneer wing, fight wing and contributor wing of the UFC Hall of Fame each year, Anik has an idea of two non-fighter figures who belong since they are institutions of the promotion, as well as two athletes with decorated careers but haven’t captured undisputed UFC gold.

Anik revealed four people he wants in the UFC Hall of Fame during a recent interview with MMA Junkie Radio, and you can see his selections and arguments for them, below …

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MMA Junkie’s 2013 ‘POWER’ issue revisited: Who remains among the sport’s most influential?

Here’s a look back at the most influential from our “Power” issue from mid-2013 – and who remains influential today.

In 2013, MMA Junkie, with the backing of the USA Today mothership, put out a specialty magazine.

MMA Junkie’s “Power” issue was our look, in the middle of that year, at the most influential people in the sport.

The cover featured Jon Jones, then the UFC’s new light heavyweight champion and now its current heavyweight titleholder, most prominently and in the center. Surrounding him were Ronda Rousey, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva and Dana White. And even though only Jones and White are left as active MMA figures, the other three names still carry much weight in the game 10 years later.

But what about the rest of the people who were what we considered the biggest names in the sport 10 years ago? Where are they now?

Here’s a look back at the most influential from our “Power” issue from mid-2013.

Bold predictions for 2024: Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, Joe Rogan, UFC 300 and more

There are a lot of unknowns for the UFC and MMA in general heading into 2024, but here are seven bold predictions for the new year.

2023 was another year of challenge and change in mixed martial arts, but with that chapter expired, there’s a chance to start brand new in 2024.

There are a lot of unknowns going into the new year, but without further ado, here are seven bold MMA predictions for the next 12 months …

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Corey Anderson claps back at Joe Rogan’s contention non-UFC fighters are ‘wasting their career’

UFC analyst Joe Rogan knows a thing or two about MMA. But a recent Bellator title challenger thinks he’s misguided on some recent comments.

Longtime UFC analyst [autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] has been around the fight game plenty, and without question knows a thing or two.

But a handful of fighters outside the UFC have some thoughts about his recent assertion that if you’re not in the UFC, “no one’s watching.”

On “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast with guest UFC fighter Bo Nickal, Rogan said fighters in Bellator, the PFL and other organizations are shorting themselves.

The UFC long has been the top MMA promotion in the space. De facto No. 2 Bellator in November was sold to the PFL and that brand will be folded into that organization in 2024. PFL’s stated purpose in acquiring Bellator was to have a combined roster its executives think is as strong as the UFC’s, which would create a co-leader in the field.

UFC CEO Dana White and others, like Rogan, appear to think that’s a little ambitious on the part of the PFL, and Rogan in particular seems to think even if fighters outside the UFC are elite-level, they’re not getting the recognition they’d get with it.

But longtime UFC light heavyweight [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag], who made the move to Bellator in 2020 and challenged for the title there in 2022, took issue on Instagram with some of Rogan’s contentions and said it’s not all about a popularity contest or fame – but it is a little about fortune, and Bellator gave him that in a way that changed his life.

Now yall know I LOVE my guy Joe!

But as someone who spent 7 years in the UFC and left at #4 in the organization….. fans seeing me fight wasn’t enough to pay bills or even begin to set my family up for a future. My wife and I both had to have jobs to keep afloat in between fights until my first fight in Bellator. I always say “I make more money in Bellator”, well my last fight ranked in the top 5, and my purse didn’t even make close to 6 figures… that’s 100K… after 7 years, 15 fights, 13 top 15 opponents, and being ranked in the top 10 within my first year. (My debut fight I made 16k). Hell, even to go be on @joerogan podcast, I had scramble to find someone to cover for me at work to go.

Yet my first fight in Bellator I made 5x more and was able to free my wife of a job and focus fully on my career as a fighter for the first time ever.

SOOOOO what good is it to have a fan base when I still have to work everyday to afford life. Compared to having fewer fans, financial freedom, and set your family up for life after fighting?

Yes I make that money bc of my start in the UFC but there’s fighters like @ajmckee101 and @patchymix that built that financial freedom in Bellator who may have never gotten it in UFC and also has a fan base! Even @mikechandlermma and @michaelvenompage

So if you want fans and stardom… yes, you have a better chance in the UFC. But if you want to make money… test the field and go where the money is. 🤷🏿

FAME DOESN’T PAY BILLS……..MONEY DOES!

Rogan sold his podcast to Spotify in 2020 for $200 million. By contrast, Anderson said his final UFC bout before his free agency move to Bellator, he made five times less money than he did his first fight for Bellator, and that while he was in the UFC both he and his wife had to continue working regular jobs.

Other fighters chimed in, as well, in Anderson’s comments, including fighters who fought for the UFC, but moved on to Bellator or elsewhere, like Anderson. Check out some of their responses to Rogan’s take below.

Joe Rogan says elite fighters outside UFC are wasting their careers: ‘No one’s watching’

“There’s a reality. There’s the XFL and there’s the CFL, then there’s the f*cking NFL. And if you’re not in the f*cking NFL, are you really playing football?”

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] thinks elite-level fighters should look to make their way to the UFC if they truly want to maximize their position in MMA.

The longtime UFC commentator, like many voices in the MMA community, see the UFC as the ultimate proving ground for fighters to show that they’re truly the best in the world.

Rogan hosted top MMA prospect Bo Nickal on the most recent episode of his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” and Nickal revealed how he felt the UFC was the only organization he truly wanted to sign with when assessing his future. Nickal said the UFC was the spot he dreamed of when thinking of establishing a legacy, and Rogan understood that position, because he “often” feels world-class fighters outside the UFC aren’t able to truly prove their talent.

“No disrespect to the other organizations, there’s very good fighters in the other organizations, but I often feel like they’re wasting their career,” Rogan told Nickal. “Because I see these elite fighters that are fighting in Bellator or PFL, and I’m like, ‘Hey guys, no one’s watching.’

“I mean, some people are watching. You’re getting a little bit of a fanbase. I don’t want to disrespect. But, there’s a reality. There’s the XFL and there’s the CFL, then there’s the f*cking NFL. And if you’re not in the f*cking NFL, are you really playing football?”

Even after the PFL recent acquired Bellator to solidify the firmest No. 2 the industry has seen in years, there’s no denying the UFC still has a stranglehold on the biggest players in the game. That’s why Rogan thinks the prestige that comes with being a UFC champion, compared to other promotions, hits much different.

“If you’re the UFC champ, you’re the f*cking man.” Rogan said. “If you’re the Bellator champ, I respect the sh*t out of those guys. I love them. Guys like Johnny Eblen. I really wish that guy would come to the UFC.”

Additionally, Rogan thinks the entirety of the UFC operation, and the cache that comes with it, resonates until unlike anything else the sport has to offer.

“There’s this feeling of being in the UFC that everyone dreams of,” Rogan said. “You want Bruce Buffer right in front of you going, ‘It’s time!’ And you’re like, ‘Holy sh*t.'”

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Joe Rogan critical of Leon Edwards’ ‘ego-based decisions’ in UFC 296 win over Colby Covington

Joe Rogan believes Leon Edwards should’ve “absolutely dominated” Colby Covington at UFC 296 but didn’t because he wanted to prove a point.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] questions UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]’ strategy in his win over [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag].

Edwards (22-3 MMA, 14-2 UFC) retained his title in what was a lackluster but efficient performance over Covington (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) in this past Saturday’s UFC 296 headliner at T-Mobile Arena. Edwards engaged in the grappling with Covington toward the end of the fight, which Rogan thought was a mistake. The grappling exchanges resulted in Edwards finishing the fight on his back.

“What was interesting is that he made choices tonight that were not the best choices to win the fight but almost like to prove a point,” Rogan, who called the fight cageside, said after UFC 296 (h/t ESPN). “Like, he chose to engage Colby in grappling in moments where he did not have to, where he could have defended and got back up to his feet. I think that would be a better path to victory where he could have completely dominated the fight, absolutely dominated it.”

UFC 296 commentary team, broadcast plans set: Lead PPV team with Joe Rogan closes 2023

The commentary A-team of Jon Anik, Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier will unite to call the final PPV of 2023 at UFC 296.

The 14th and final numbered UFC event of the year is rapidly approaching with UFC 296 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

As always, some marquee on-air talent will be there to help guide viewers through the experience.

Details of who will be working as commentators and analysts for the show have been acquired by MMA Junkie through a person with knowledge of the plans – and you can see the scheduled broadcast team below.

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Joe Rogan supports ‘more lax’ rules for injury recovery PEDs under UFC’s new anti-doping program

Joe Rogan has no issue if Conor McGregor used performance-enhancing drugs to recover.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] has no issue if [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] used performance-enhancing drugs to recover.

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) withdrew from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) testing pool when he broke his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021, and has yet to return.

Although there’s no evidence to support that McGregor took PEDs during his recovery time, he has repeatedly teased the topic on social media. Longtime UFC commentator Rogan says the Irishman should be allowed to take whatever healing agents needed after suffering such a gruesome injury.

McGregor was readmitted to the USADA testing pool in October, and is expected to fight Michael Chandler in the first half of 2024. With the likes of Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman visibly struggling to successfully return from breaking their leg, Rogan thinks fighters should be able to use PEDs while they’re sidelined for recovery.

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UFC’s partnership with USADA expires at the end of this month. The agency has a hard stance against non-traditional recovery methods, but with UFC shifting to a new anti-doping partner in 2023 with Drug Free Sport, Rogan would like to see athletes have more freedom to explore expediting recovery from serious injuries.

“I would imagine it’s going to be a little more lax, and I would support that,” Rogan said in a recent episode of his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience.” “I certainly support guys taking things to recover from injuries like Conor did with his leg injury. 100 percent, no question about it. I’m 100 percent all in on that. That’s the only way. No one comes back from that. No one has ever come back from that catastrophic leg break.”

Silva went 1-5-1 since returning from his leg break, whereas Weidman ended up fracturing his other leg in a unanimous decision loss to Brad Tavares in his comeback at UFC 292.

“The shin break, not a single athlete has come back from it and performed at the same level,” Rogan continued. “Anderson Silva is the only guy who came back and fought multiple times and he was not the same guy.”