Joe Rogan and Ilia Topuria take aim at Dricus du Plessis and other UFC elites while addressing "sanctioned cheating" in MMA
Joe Rogan and Ilia Topuria talked about the concept of drastic weight cuts in the UFC, specifically amongst elite fighters.
Earlier today, Rogan released a highly anticipated podcast episode with Topuria, a former UFC featherweight champion who recently vacated his title to move up to the lightweight division.
Topuria's reasoning for the division change included his drastic weight cut, something Rogan has never supported in the UFC.
Rogan started by reiterating his stance on weight cutting:
"I really wish the UFC would eliminate weight cutting. I really wish there was a way. It's sanctioned cheating that everybody has to do. If you're saying you're 180 pounds, you're not really 145, right? So, it's crazy that you're the 145-pound champion, but you're a 180-pound man. It's kind of nuts.
Topuria provided an alternate perspective for why fighters need to cut weight to avoid a disadvantage:
"At the same time, if you go to the next weight class, you are playing with a disadvantage because the guy in the next division is cutting a lot of weight. So, if you don't do that, at the end of the day, you walk inside the octagon and you are the smaller guy."
Rogan name-dropped Islam Makhachev, Alex Pereira, and Dricus du Plessis as current and former UFC champions who endure drastic weight cuts:
"Like Islam, Islam Makhachev, is huge. I mean that guy, how he makes 155, I don't understand it. Every time I stand next to him, I'm like, how do you make 155?... When [Alex Pereira] was fighting at 85 [185 pounds] , he was weighing in at 85 [185 pounds] and then fighting in the cage at 225, 226, which is crazy... How about Dricus du Plessis? How the f*ck is he 185? That guy is huge. He's a tank..."
Topuria followed up by mentioning Khamzat Chimaev:
"Khamzat [Chimaev], when he was fighting at 170, he was big also. He was almost killing himself trying to make the weight."
Check out Joe Rogan's and Ilia Topuria's comments below (1:20):
Ilia Topuria has fought once in UFC lightweight division
Ilia Topuria holds a UFC record of 8-0, including six wins inside the distance. The former featherweight champion competed in one promotional lightweight bout, a second-round knockout against Jai Herbert in March 2022.
In 2024, Topuria validated his superstar potential with consecutive knockout wins against Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway. He now looks to continue building his legacy at lightweight.
Potential opponents for Topuria's next fight include a lightweight title shot against Islam Makhachev, Charles Oliveira, Arman Tsarukyan, and more.