Tag: Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan on Islam Makhachev’s ‘perfect’ head kick KO of Alexander Volkanovski: ‘He showed so much improvement’

Although he wasn’t cageside in Abu Dhabi, longtime analyst Joe Rogan was impressed by Islam Makhachev’s knockout win at UFC 294.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] was impressed by [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]’s performance at UFC 294.

Lightweight champion Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) left no doubt in his title-fight rematch with [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) in Saturday’s main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Makhachev knocked out Volkanovski with a first-round head kick that left Rogan in awe.

“Oh my God! He head kicked him,” Rogan said on his “JRE Fight Companion.” “Wow! What a shocker. Who would have saw that coming? It was amazing. Shin to the dome, opened up a cut – it was perfect. Islam, man. He showed a bunch of new sh*t. That front kick, and he was throwing that kick to the body, and then he threw the same kick to the head.”

Makhachev’s control time won him his first fight with Volkanovski at UFC 284, but he didn’t need to rely on his grappling this time. Although their title-fight rematch only last three minutes, Rogan saw many strides in Makhachev’s striking.

“I’m just so impressed that he won that way,” Rogan said. “He showed so much improvement. He really made adjustments because they must have trained for Volkanovski again,even though he wasn’t fighting Volkanovski (originally).

“I’m sure they went over all the different things that Volkanovski did, and what are the counters to those things, and he shut a lot of it down. He shut down that switch kick to the outside leg, throwing that front kick up the middle, set up the head kick.”

Prior to beating Volkanovski twice, Makhachev showed off his striking against Charles Oliveira at UFC 280, when he knocked him down then submitted him in Round 2 to claim the vacant belt.

“He knocked (down) Oliveira in the last fight – remember, his striking was his weakest point,” Rogan said. “Now it’s f*cking as dangerous as anybody in the division. You knock out Volkanovski? Sh*t.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

Joe Rogan thinks if anyone can come back from a gruesome leg break, it’s Conor McGregor

Joe Rogan has faith that Conor McGregor can rebound from his leg break.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] has faith that [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] can rebound from his leg break.

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) broke his leg in a doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021, and is yet to return. Fellow former UFC champions Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman also broke their legs in the cage and never were the same when they returned.

Silva went 1-5-1 in his return from that injury. Weidman fractured his other leg in a unanimous decision loss to Brad Tavares at UFC 292 in August. But Rogan argues that McGregor will be younger than the two when he makes his expected return in 2024.

“If it wasn’t for his leg snap, he’s still in the prime of his career. But that leg snap is a real problem,” Rogan said on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. “I mean, if he does, he’ll be the first. And if anybody does, maybe he can do it. If anybody can do it, maybe it’s him because he snapped his leg in the prime of his career. Anderson was a little older. I believe he was 36 or 37 when he snapped his leg. Chris Weidman was a little older.

“It’s a hard one to come back from. Nobody really comes back from that one. You have to have plates, and also, you’ve got to think the differences – you’re kicking, you’re taking kicks. Guys are going to kick you in that shin for sure. They’re going to kick you in your calf. (You’ll have) nerve damage – all the above. I don’t know the extent of how much damage was done, but it’s been two years.”

McGregor’s comeback fight is projected to be against Michael Chandler, whom he coached Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” opposite side. However, his return has been delayed as he’s yet to re-enter the USADA testing pool which is required in order for him to be eligible to compete.

Rogan is confident McGregor can defy the odds, but worries about his drive.

“I just think that if anybody can do it, it’s going to be Conor,” Rogan said. “If anyone is going to come back from that and fight again, it’s going to be Conor. But it’s that famous Marvin Hagler quote: ‘It’s hard to get out of bed and run in the cold when you’re sleeping in silk sheets.’ When you’re the champ and you’re rich as f*ck like he is, he doesn’t have to do nothing forever. He’s got generational wealth, but he’s still in the prime of his athletic career.”

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‘This division is just a murderer’s row’: Joe Rogan, Daniel Cormier react to Sean O’Malley’s KO of Aljamain Sterling

Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier think Sean O’Malley’s UFC 292 title win speaks to how stacked bantamweight is.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] think [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]’s UFC 292 title win speaks to how stacked bantamweight is.

O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) dethroned bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling (23-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) with a second-round TKO finish in this past Saturday’s headliner at TD Garden.

With Sterling defending his title against Petr Yan, T.J. Dillashaw, and Henry Cejudo, not too many people gave O’Malley a chance. O’Malley shook up the division, but already has plenty of hungry contenders waiting for their shot.

“What a division. I mean this division is just a murderer’s row,” Rogan said post-fight on ESPN. “It really really is. I believe Aljo’s probably going to stay in the division and try to get a rematch, but who knows, because you’ve got Merab (Dvalishvili) there, who’s his teammate and (Marlon) ‘Chito’ Vera (possibly) fighting for the title. Petr Yan lost a very close decision loss to Sean O’Malley – he’s still in the hunt. (There are) very, very intriguing fights for the champion.”

Cormier echoed Rogan’s same sentiment towards the division. The former UFC dual-champion was impressed with O’Malley’s takedown defense, and wonders if he’s fine tuned it enough to fend of elite grapplers like Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov.

“It’s a crazy division and what speaks to how good it is, is Aljo has more defenses than anybody and he has three because you can’t hold on to the championship,” Cormier said. “Everybody’s so good. So can Sean O’Malley be that guy? Can he be the guy that brings stability to this division? He’s got some great challengers, though. But after watching him defend takedowns in the way that he did, it’s hard to envision those guys just wrestling him.”

Sterling initially had plans of moving up to challenge UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. But after losing his bantamweight title, he’s eyeing a rematch with O’Malley. Rogan thinks it’s warranted, but isn’t sure if he’ll get it right away.

“It definitely makes him deserving of a rematch,” Rogan said. “When you get your lights put out in the second round like that, maybe it’s deserving of one fight and then he gets (another shot with) a very impressive performance. You have (Cory) Sandhagen – I mean, look at this division.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.

UFC 292 commentary team, broadcast plans set: Joe Rogan, Jon Anik return to Boston

The star-studded UFC 292 broadcast in Boston will feature the likes of Joe Rogan, Daniel Cormier, Jon Anik, Chael Sonnen, and more.

The ninth numbered UFC event of the year is rapidly approaching with UFC 292 on Saturday at TD Garden in Boston.

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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UFC 291 commentary team, broadcast plans set: Chael Sonnen returns as analyst after 16 months

Chael Sonnen will appear on a UFC broadcast after more than 16 months after reaching a plea agreement in his legal situation.

The ninth numbered UFC event of the year is rapidly approaching with UFC 291 on Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

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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UFC 290 commentary team, broadcast plans set: Joe Rogan returns for International Fight Week

The commentary A-team of Joe Rogan, Daniel Cormier and Jon Anik will reunite to call Saturday’s massive UFC 290 event in Las Vegas.

The eighth numbered UFC event of the year is rapidly approaching with UFC 290 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: ‘F*cking bananas’ Conor McGregor vs. Mike Perry BKFC fight would do ‘a million PPV buys at least’

Joe Rogan believes Conor McGregor vs. Mike Perry in a BKFC fight would do massive numbers.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] believes [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] in a bare-knuckle fight would do massive numbers.

McGregor made an appearance at BKFC 41 in April, where Perry scored a second-round TKO win over former UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold. Afterward, McGregor stepped inside the ring with a BKFC championship belt over his shoulder and engaged in a faceoff with Perry.

Perry proceeded to call out McGregor for a fight, which Rogan believes would be a blockbuster event if it happened.

“If he (McGregor) decided to do that, if somehow or another they (UFC) gave him the green light to do that, I can’t imagine how that could ever happen, but if it did, if that happened in a bare knuckle fight, that would be f*cking bananas,” Rogan said in a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” with Perry as his guest.

“He’s a very good kicker, he can do everything, but if somehow or another he agreed to fight bare-knuckle, I mean, Jesus Christ, you know how big that would be?” Rogan continued. “My Lord, that would be wild. If they did that in bare-knuckle, it would get a million pay-per-view buys at least, probably more.”

Perry, who’s now 3-0 under the BKFC banner, talked Rogan through his experience when facing off with McGregor.

“He (McGregor) was moving all over the place, and I stood my ground,” Perry said. “I stood so still, and I couldn’t be wavered or moved. He was moving all over the place. I mean, that says that he was free in that moment to do so, obviously.

“But it was me respectfully calling him out, which shows the professional in martial arts that I have been for so many years. How do you call a man out in a sport that he has a family and you guys want to hurt each other and they can honor it in a fair way and promote it to be entertaining?”

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UFC 289 commentary team, broadcast plans set: Paul Felder fills in for Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan won’t be part of the UFC 289 commentary team when the promotion returns to Canada after several years for Saturday’s PPV.

The seventh numbered UFC event of the year is rapidly approaching with UFC 289 on Saturday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

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 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 on Francis Ngannou leaving UFC to sign with PFL: ‘It’s a big loss’

Joe Rogan thinks it’s a shame that Francis Ngannou isn’t fighting in the UFC anymore.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] thinks it’s a shame that [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] isn’t fighting in the UFC anymore.

Ngannou failed to come to terms on a new deal with the UFC and eventually signed with the PFL – a deal that allows him to box and gives him equity and a leadership role within the promotion.

Ngannou’s past two octagon bouts were a title-winning knockout of Stipe Miocic, followed by a title unification bout with Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, where he fought through a torn ACL to score the decision win. But Ngannou’s departure meant relinquishing the heavyweight belt, and Rogan doesn’t see too many viable opponents for him outside of the UFC.

“It’s a big loss in my mind, like, him going over to the PFL,” Rogan said on a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience.” “It bums me out. I understand it. I’m happy he’s going to get paid, I’m happy he’s going to get to box, but I loved watching this guy fight in the UFC. He was a f*cking monster. He was so good, and he is so good. It’s going to be interesting. I just don’t know who they’re going to have him fight.”

With Ngannou no longer on the UFC roster, Jon Jones claimed the vacant belt with a quick submission of Gane at UFC 285 in March.

Ngannou is expected to box before making his MMA return in mid-2024.

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Joe Rogan: UFC interim champ Yair Rodriguez ‘one of the wildest motherf*ckers that’s ever fought in MMA’

Joe Rogan is a big fan of UFC interim featherweight champ Yair Rodriguez, calling him a “f*cking genius” for the way he fights.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] is a big fan of [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag]’s fighting style.

One of the most creative strikers on the UFC roster, Rodriguez is responsible for plenty of highlight reel finishes such as his roundhouse kick knockout of Andre Fili, and his buzzer-beater upward elbow knockout of Chan Sung Jung.

Rodriguez (15-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) scored his first octagon finish by submission when he tapped out Josh Emmett to capture the interim featherweight title this past February at UFC 284. In a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” the popular UFC commentator was in awe speaking of some of “El Pantera’s” career highlights.

“Have you seen Yair Rodriguez fight? Yair Rodriguez is one of the wildest motherf*ckers that’s ever fought in MMA,” Rogan said. “Yair has some of the craziest kicks. He’s got this taekwondo background, but he does all this wild sh*t. He hit B.J. Penn with a 360 roundhouse kick. He f*cked B.J. Penn up

“Look at this motherf*cker. He kicked him with the right, and then in the air hits him with the left. He’s a beast. He’s so dynamic, his striking and on the ground. He finished Josh Emmett with a triangle in his last fight. On the ground he’s nasty. He is f*cking wicked. He’s wicked, and he’s really hard to figure out because everything he does is different … f*cking genius.”

Rodriguez will attempt to unify his interim belt with featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC 290 on July 8 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.