5 times that Joe Rogan was brutally honest in the UFC
Despite being better known for his podcast, Joe Rogan’s work as a commentator with the UFC is still highly regarded and respected. Often, even former and current UFC fighters can’t quite match Joe Rogan’s analysis.
One telling feature of Joe Rogan’s analysis and commentary has always been his brutal honesty, as he refuses to mince his words, even when faced with some of the world’s best fighters.
Joe Rogan’s feelings are not always spot on, of course, but given he’s been around the UFC since the promotion’s early years, his opinions are arguably more valid than your average fan. And this means UFC fighters often take his words to heart.
With this in mind, here are five times that Joe Rogan was brutally honest in the UFC.
#5. Joe Rogan says CM Punk has no athletic talent
When former WWE champion CM Punk signed to fight in the UFC in late 2014, it came as a huge shock to UFC fans around the world. Punk had been one of the biggest stars in WWE’s recent history, but he also had no legitimate martial arts background and was already in his late 30’s when he made the move to MMA.
However, the UFC itself seemed to take the move seriously, pushing Punk’s octagon debut against fellow neophyte Mickey Gall as a big deal. One man who was never really convinced by Punk’s chances, though? Joe Rogan.
Punk lost to Gall in one-sided fashion at UFC 203, and despite the experiment seemingly being over, just under two years later, it was announced that the former WWE star was coming back for another go-around.
Punk was matched with Mike Jackson on the main card at UFC 225, something that clearly didn’t sit well with Joe Rogan.
In a podcast interview with Brendan Schaub, Joe Rogan suggested that he understood why Punk vs. Jackson – supposedly the “worst fight in UFC history from a skill standpoint” – was being promoted over fights like Curtis Blaydes vs. Alistair Overeem.
However, he also stated that Punk’s drawing ability would’ve been damaged by his loss to Gall. Later in the interview, Joe Rogan compared Punk’s attempts at making it in the UFC to climbing Everest without a guide.
Punk, of course, lost to Jackson by unanimous decision in what was a largely disappointing fight, and after UFC 225, Joe Rogan was unsurprisingly candid again. This time he stated that Punk was a very nice guy and a hard worker but had no athletic talent.
It’s safe to say that Joe Rogan takes the UFC very seriously – and in his mind, no pretenders ought to be welcome.