"I always fu*k this guy's name up" - When Joe Rogan praised "tough as fu*k" Shavkat Rakhmonov during conversation with B.J. Penn
In 2022, Joe Rogan welcomed legendary ex-MMA fighter B.J. Penn on episode #123 of the JRE MMA Show. During the pair's sitdown, the topic of Shavkat Rakhmonov, one of the UFC's top unbeaten stars, came up, especially as he fights in a division over which Penn once reigned as champion: welterweight.
Back then, Rakhmonov was nowhere near the division's title picture, and was instead gearing up to face MMA veteran Neil Magny at UFC Vegas 57. Nevertheless, the state of the division greatly impressed Penn, who mentioned several high-profile fighters.
This prompted Rogan to mention Rakhmonov, incorrectly referring to him as Russian, despite the fact that Rakhmonov is an Uzbekistani-born Kazakh. He also confessed to struggling with the pronunciation of Rakhmonov's name.
"There's this other Russian gentleman who's undefeated. He's fighting Neil Magny. God, I cannot pronounce his name. Magny's a very tough guy. I always fu*k up this guy's name because I've never called his fight or maybe I did call one of his fights."
This led to Rogan waxing lyrical about Rakhmonov's skills as a fighter, heaping praise on the undefeated welterweight.
"This guy, although he is absolutely a good grappler, his kicks are fu*king insane and he can wrestle too, but as a striker is where he really shines. He throws nasty kicks to the body. Just a really good striker. Tough as fu*ck and undefeated."
Check out Joe Rogan praising Shavkat Rakhmonov (25:52 and 26:37):
Now, years later, Rakhmonov is set to co-headline UFC 310, where he will take on fellow unbeaten welterweight Ian Machado Garry, who is stepping in on short-notice for welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, who withdrew over medical reasons.
Joe Rogan isn't the only UFC commentator to show admiration for Shavkat Rakhmonov
While Joe Rogan lavished Shavkat Rakhmonov with praise, another UFC commentator in Laura Sanko, a former fighter herself, has become the subject of various memes on social media for her admiration for 'The Nomad.' The pair finally crossed paths backstage.
They commemorated their encounter with a backstage picture, and she will almost certainly keep her eyes close on the UFC 310 card now that Rakhmonov has a last-minute switch in opponents.