"I wish I was there" - Watch Joe Rogan's real-time reaction to Sean Strickland's UFC 293 win after nearly knocking Israel Adesanya out
Joe Rogan, like many in the MMA community, was both exhilarated and astonished by Sean Strickland's dominant performance against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293. Strickland not only emerged as the winner against Adesanya but also achieved a significant milestone by knocking down the former UFC middleweight champion for the first time in his professional MMA career.
As the first round neared its conclusion, Strickland's relentless forward pressure appeared to stifle Adesanya, thwarting him from stringing together effective combinations to push back his opponent.
In a dramatic turn of events, 'Tarzan' seized a golden opportunity in the final seconds of the first round, landing a powerful one-two combination that sent the former middleweight champion crashing to the canvas. Joe Rogan's live reaction vividly captured the electrifying moment, as he seemingly struggled to fathom the spectacle unfolding before his eyes.
Over the next four rounds, Strickland went on to execute a perfect gameplan built on the American's crisp boxing and immaculate defense. In the end, all three judges scored the bout 49-46 in favor of Strickland, who was crowned the new UFC middleweight champion.
Joe Rogan, the iconic voice of the UFC color commentary team, couldn't help but marvel at the occasion and expressed a deep desire to have witnessed one of the most monumental upsets in UFC history unfold live. Rogan said:
"Unbelievable! He f**king did it. That wild motherf**ker is the middleweight champion of the world. God, I wish I was there."
Check out the full fight reaction below (comments at 30:00):
Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland: Shocking upset leaves Joe Rogan speechless during UFC 293 watch-along
Joe Rogan was utterly stunned by the impressive upset victory that Sean Strickland pulled off against Israel Adesanya to claim the middleweight championship at UFC 293.
Strickland sent shockwaves through the MMA world when he out-pointed Adesanya in the five-round clash. The pivotal moment came when Strickland dropped his opponent towards the end of the first round. Reflecting on the fight, Joe Rogan said:
"I’m stunned. I think this is the most stunned I’ve ever been, surprised at a performance. Like, Holly Holm vs. Ronda [Rousey]. I knew Holly was dangerous. I knew Holly was a legit striker, and if Ronda couldn’t get her to the ground, Holly is a multiple-time world kickboxing champion. When he cracked him with that right hand in the first round, I was like, ‘What world? What timeline are we on?’"