"It’s really difficult to watch as a friend" - Joe Rogan on calling the final fight of Daniel Cormier's illustrious career
Long-time UFC commentator Joe Rogan claims it was difficult for him to call his friend and former two-division UFC champ Daniel Cormier’s final fight inside the octagon against Stipe Miocic at UFC 252.
In the main event of Saturday’s UFC 252 card, Daniel Cormier set foot inside the unforgiving octagon for a final time in a bid to walk out with the UFC heavyweight title wrapped around his waist. However, that wasn't to be as in the end, the trilogy went to Stipe Miocic, who won by unanimous decision to settle the rivalry once and for all.
The fight wasn't completely bereft of controversy either. The champion, Stipe Miocic inadvertently eye-poked Daniel Cormier during the fight and the latter suffered a torn cornea and much reduced vision during the fight that may have affected his chances of winning.
Speaking to co-commentator and UFC bantamweight legend Dominick Cruz, Joe Rogan revealed that it was difficult for him to watch his friend DC get eye-poked and then beaten on the latter's final fight before retirement.
“Stipe Miocic put on a tremendous performance,” Rogan told Cruz, the former UFC bantamweight champion. “He had DC badly hurt in the second and he really did everything he needed to do to defend the title.“It’s really difficult to watch as a friend of DC’s, as a colleague, as a person that does commentary with him,” Rogan added. “It’s hard. It’s always to call fights for one of your friends. It’s hard for me to call your fights. It’s really hard seeing him walk out of there not being able to see out of one eye. That was really hard. That said, I think Stipe fought the exact fight that he had to fight.” concluded Rogan.