"He f***ed up the entire main event" - When Joe Rogan confessed his dilemma about interviewing Khamzat Chimaev after 7.5-pound weight miss
Joe Rogan once admitted to facing a tough predicament while interviewing Khamzat Chimaev after his massive weight miss. Chimaev was originally set to face Nate Diaz in a welterweight bout in the main event of UFC 279 in September 2022.
However, after missing the weight limit by a staggering 7.5 pounds, the undefeated Chechen's misstep forced the promotion into a last-minute scramble to rearrange matchups for both fighters.
As a result, 'Borz' was reassigned to face Kevin Holland in the co-main event at a 180-pound catchweight bout, where he dominantly submitted 'Trailblazer' in the first round.
Chimaev was met with some tough questions during his post-fight octagon interview, as Rogan justifiably took the opportunity to subtly press him on his significant weight mishap.
Check out Khamzat Chimaev's interview below:
During an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience in June 2024, the veteran UFC commentator reflected on his dilemma while interviewing Chimaev. Rogan admitted that while he wanted to commend 'Borz' for his dominant victory, he also felt obligated to hold him accountable for the chaos his massive weight miss caused for the UFC:
"When Khamzat Chimaev beat Kevin Holland, I was in a very interesting situation because Khamzat weighed in 7.5 pounds overweight, and he f**ked up the entire main event. He was supposed to be fighting Nate Diaz, so I was in this situation where I wanted to praise Khamzat because he had just rag-dolled Kevin Holland in one of the most spectacular performances of the year."
He added:
"I mean, he showed why he's the motherf**ker of motherf**kers and why everybody's scared of him. But also, he weighed in 7.5 pounds overweight— he f**ked up the entire promotion."
Check out Joe Rogan's comments below (2:03:50):
When Daniel Cormier applauded Joe Rogan for pressing Khamzat Chimaev in UFC 279 interview
In a video on his YouTube channel in September 2022, Daniel Cormier praised fellow commentator Joe Rogan for pressing Khamzat Chimaev during the UFC 279 octagon interview, holding him accountable for missing weight by such a large margin. He said:
"I want to know a little bit more about the weight cut issue. In the octagon, he said that the official pulled the plug on him the night before. He was closer than 7.5 pounds. I love that Joe Rogan asked him the hard questions. He tried to avoid it — 'I don't wanna talk about this.' Joe goes, 'No, you have to talk about it.' I love that Joe held his foot to the fire a little bit."
Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below (4:55):