Joe Rogan praises Islam Makhachev, says his fighting style is superior to Conor McGregor and Alexander Volkanovski: "Head kick just like Jon Jones"
Amid the Dana White-fueled pound-for-pound debate, Joe Rogan believes that no fighter is more well-rounded than Islam Makhachev. While he recognizes the skills of Jones, Rogan referenced the all-around talent of Makhachev as the "top" fighter in the world.
In a previous edition of The Joe Rogan Experience with guest Ari Matti, Rogan gushed on the well-rounded skill sets of Makhachev and his teammate, Umar Nurmagomedov. The host pointed out his fascination with their progression as MMA fighters despite their status quo as wrestlers:
"If you wanted to really think about who's the most complete fighter, you gotta say like Max Holloway [or] Ilia Topuria, but Islam Makhachev you got to put at the top as the most complete. He could KO you with a head kick just like Jon Jones... The problem with Jon is unfortunately that shoulder injury and then the uncertainty about moving up to heavyweight."
Check out Joe Rogan's comments about Islam Makhachev on PowerfulJRE below (starting from 1:27:04):
Rogan and Matti compared the skills of Makhachev and Nurmagomedov to those of Conor McGregor and Alexander Volkanovski, saying that the Dagestanis are the more complete pair. The comedians referenced McGregor and Volkanovski as "specialists," whereas Makhachev had the talent to "out-man" any fighter in any department.
Joe Rogan's reaction to Islam Makhachev's head kick knockout at UFC 294
Joe Rogan has always been complimentary about Islam Makhachev and the entire Eagles MMA team but his respect for the UFC lightweight champion appeared to grow at UFC 294.
In what is still the biggest win of the 32-year-old's career, Makhachev knocked out Alexander Volkanovski in his second title defense. Rogan was not calling the fight cage-side but instead watching the fight from his home and streaming his reaction live as a Fight Companion episode of The Joe Rogan Experience.
In his immediate reaction, Rogan called the "perfect" knockout a "shocker" while saying he was impressed with Makhachev's improvements from his last fight.
Check out Joe Rogan's reaction to Islam Makhachev's knockout of Alexander Volkanovski below:
Makhachev last competed at UFC 302, submitting Dustin Poirier in the fifth round for his third title defense. He does not have his next fight confirmed but is widely believed to be facing No. 1 ranked contender Arman Tsarukyan next in a fight that will be a rematch over five years in the making.