Joe Rogan calls for unconventional change in UFC fights to balance striker-wrestler dynamics: "I don't give a fu*k"
Joe Rogan recently had an intriguing proposition to prevent referees from influencing the striker vs. wrestler dynamic.
Earlier this week, UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad made an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience. Muhammad and Rogan discussed various aspects of mixed martial arts due to their high-level experience, leading to the latter voicing his interest in a drastic rule change.
Rogan argued that the referee shouldn't decide when a fight is "boring" and force the fighters to stand up, taking away the top fighter's advantageous position. The UFC commentator went a step further by saying this as a suggested rule change:
"I believe in no standups. I know it's boring, I don't give a f*ck, no standups, no standups. I'd go a step further. No standups and I think the fight should resume exactly what position you were in at the end of the round. That's a real fight though, right? That's a real fight." [46:38-46:56]
Joe Rogan's suggested rule change likely won't be happening anytime soon.
Although Rogan offers a fair argument, the growth of MMA and the UFC could be slowed down by the proposal, as most casual fans seemingly don't want to watch a one-sided fight that primarily takes place on the ground.
Watch Belal Muhammad's entire appearance on Rogan's podcast below:
Belal Muhammad references Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 2 during rule-change talks with Joe Rogan
Before Joe Rogan's proposal, Belal Muhammad agreed with the UFC commentator that standing fighters up is subjective.
Muhammad provided an example of the consequences of the decision by referencing Leon Edwards' title-winning sequence against Kamaru Usman at UFC 304:
"Even Leon vs. Kamaru 2 when Kamaru was on top of him and the ref stood them up because the crowd was booing, right? Then he got head kicked. It's like, bro, he's on top of him the whole five rounds, now you want to stand them up because the crowd is booing right now?" [46:27-46:38]
Belal Muhammad's latest Octagon appearance was life-changing, as he defeated Leon Edwards for the UFC welterweight title.
Although it's unconfirmed by the UFC, Muhammad may defend his throne for the first time against number two-ranked contender Shavkat Rakhmonov later this year.