Former UFC fighter reacts to fake Stephen A. Smith quote about knocking out Joe Rogan
A fake Stephen A. Smith quote regarding Joe Rogan has resurfaced and has caused quite a stir online. An ex-UFC fighter has now chimed in with a reaction to the quote.
Smith has long been counted among the most prominent on-screen personalities in the sports realm, particularly in his country, the United States of America. The 57-year-old notably features on ESPN, having extensively worked as an analyst, host, and more.
Meanwhile, Rogan is an ex-Taekwondo competitor. He's a veteran UFC color commentator, who's also long reigned as a podcast mogul.
Back in 2022, a fake social media post featuring a satirical quote from Smith gained considerable attention. Per the parody post, Smith suggested that he could knock Rogan out:
"Let me be clear. If my right hand connects with the legend Joe Rogan, all due respect, he's getting knocked out people."
Fast forward to Dec. 2024, MMA reporter and commentator Ben Davis reacted to the quote before apparently realizing it was fake. Davis' initial post on X read:
"Stephen A. Smith is f**king stupid"
Check out a few screenshots of Davis' X exchanges about the same below:
Former UFC featherweight and lightweight title challenger -- retired MMA fighter Kenny Florian -- chimed in by recalling the infamous video of Stephen A. Smith hitting the boxing pads/mitts, wherein Smith displayed striking techniques that elicited considerable criticism.
Florian posted, writing:
"Someone find that video of Stephen A. pathetically hitting pads please."
When Joe Rogan jibed at Stephen A. Smith over infamous boxing pad work video
In Jan. 2020, Stephen A. Smith joined the UFC's broadcast team to give his take on the then-freshly-concluded Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone UFC 246 headlining match. Smith alleged that Cerrone's mental quitting led to McGregor winning the fight via first-round TKO.
Joe Rogan, who was right next to Smith, disagreed and implied that his analysis undermined both Cerrone and McGregor.
Rogan and Smith's disagreement on the same continued later on, with the ESPN personality subsequently even taking to social media and doubling down on his assessment. Smith also released a video of himself hitting the pads/mitts with boxing gloves on.
Watch Smith's pad/mitt work footage, as replayed on ESPN, below:
On the Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast's JRE MMA Show 86 later that month, Joe Rogan hosted former UFC fighter Josh Thomson. The duo laughed while discussing Stephen A. Smith's questionable pugilistic techniques in the aforementioned pad/mitt work video.
Rogan reaffirmed that Smith's opinion about the McGregor-Cerrone matchup was disrespectful to both the highly accomplished MMA fighters. Furthermore, the podcast mogul appeared to lightheartedly jibe at Smith and stated:
"First of all, someone needs to explain to me what's happening here. Is he punching a baby? I don't even think it's a d**k; unless that guy's got a two-foot d**k. Look how low he's punching. This guy should not be allowed to talk about fighting."
Watch Joe Rogan and Josh Thomson discuss the topic below (0:06):