"I can't get angry enough" - When Joe Rogan lost his temper on live TV over 'incompetence' in a Jon Jones fight
Joe Rogan once appeared to go all out in an angry critique after a Jon Jones fight. The veteran UFC color commentator and podcast mogul lambasted the system in place and was seconded by fellow commentator, former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.
The incident transpired at UFC 247 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, U.S.A., on Feb. 8, 2020. The event was headlined by a UFC light heavyweight title showdown featuring then-light heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones defending his belt against the then-undefeated Dominick Reyes.
Jones won their closely contested showdown via unanimous decision. The verdict elicited mixed reactions. Many suggested that Reyes clearly won the first two rounds, arguably won the third round, and 'Bones' outpointed him in rounds four and five.
Ergo, various fans and experts argued that 'The Devastator' should've gotten the points victory and dethroned Jones to become the new champion. The octagon-side judges saw it differently. Judge Marcos Rosales and Judge Chris Lee had 48-47 each for Jones. Judge Joe Soliz scored it 49-46 for Jones. Soliz's scorecard, in particular, was widely derided.
During the broadcast, Joe Rogan had indicated that a judge was allegedly not even looking at the Lauren Murphy-Andrea Lee women's flyweight bout that transpired on the prelims. Murphy won that matchup via split decision, but some argued that the judges should've given Lee the victory.
Also, Rogan had criticized the scoring in the Andre Ewell-Jonathan Martinez men's bantamweight bout on the early prelims. Ewell won via split decision, but many felt that Martinez ought to have been handed the points victory. Judge Joe Soliz reportedly scored that fight 30-27 for Ewell.
After the UFC 247 event, Joe Rogan and Dominick Cruz suggested that while the Jon Jones-Dominick Reyes matchup was close, that fight too was marred by underwhelming judging. They especially called out Soliz's 49-46 scorecard. Rogan blasted the "incompetent judging" and "poor" scoring system. He asserted:
"It makes me angry."
They alluded to wanting a major systemic overhaul -- with better communication between the official judges and fighters, coaches, and other personnel, to ensure the judges receive constructive feedback. Joe Rogan, who's often disagreed with the MMA judging dynamics, added:
"I can't get angry enough ... I've done it so many times. For anyone to think that was 4-1 Jon Jones; that person's insane. Insane. Dominick Reyes put on a hell of a fight tonight ... that kind of judging is insane."
Joe Rogan praises Jon Jones after win over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309
After the Dominick Reyes fight, Jon Jones eventually vacated the light heavyweight championship, took a hiatus, and steadily bulked up. Jones made his heavyweight divisional debut and captured the vacant 265-pound title by submitting Ciryl Gane in March 2023.
Jones notched his first defense of the heavyweight championship by defeating former champion Stipe Miocic via third-round TKO in the headlining match of UFC 309 on Nov. 16, 2024. 'Bones' then showcased his version of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's signature dance in front of Trump who was in attendance.
Joe Rogan later put forth an Instagram post, which received an acknowledgment from Jones. Rogan's statement in the post read:
"Highlight of the night: @jonnybones with the KO victory followed by the Trump dance."
Check out Joe Rogan's post and Jon Jones' dance below: