Joe Rogan's live reactions to Khamzat Chimaev's submission win and Ilia Topuria's KO victory at UFC 308 [VIDEO]
Veteran UFC color commentator Joe Rogan put forth his live reactions to the UFC 308 headlining and co-headlining matches. Rogan praised each fighter competing in the aforementioned matchups, particularly Khamzat Chimaev and Ilia Topuria.
The co-headliner witnessed the unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev defeat former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker via first-round submission to enter the middleweight title picture. 'Borz' secured the tap with a face crank that instantly forced his foe to tap. It was later confirmed that Whittaker suffered a jaw injury and damage to his teeth.
The headliner saw reigning UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria notch his first successful title defense by besting former divisional ruler and current BMF champion Max Holloway via third-round KO. Holloway's BMF title wasn't at stake. Also, another notable element concerning the fight was that Topuria earned the distinction of being the first fighter to KO 'Blessed' in the sport of MMA.
The event transpired in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., on Oct. 26, 2024. Rogan has worked a reduced commentary schedule in recent years and largely commentates on UFC PPVs only in the U.S. Ergo, he wasn't in attendance for UFC 308.
Nevertheless, he watched the fights live on his JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) podcast's JRE Fight Companion alongside longtime friends Bryan Callen, Brendan Schaub, and Eddie Bravo. Reacting to Khamzat Chimaev's terrifying stoppage of Robert Whittaker, Rogan stated:
"Oh, he's tapping ... Holy sh**. Bro, he gets a title shot, I think. He ran through him, and he strangled him in the first round."
Rogan addressed Whittaker's post-match appearance. He alluded to how people usually lose control of their mouth and open it wide when they've suffered a broken jaw. He even speculated whether 'The Reaper' had hurt his neck or snapped something else during the final submission sequence.
Check out Rogan's reaction to Chimaev's submission below:
Joe Rogan's live reaction to Ilia Topuria's KO against Max Holloway
On the edition of JRE Fight Companion, Joe Rogan, and the others appeared stunned as Ilia Topuria became the first to knock the legendarily durable Max Holloway out. During the finishing sequence of the fight, Rogan said:
"I think he's coming around this third round. Oh my goodness, he's getting rocked ... Oh, he dropped him with a left hook! Oh Jesus! ... Bro, the first guy to put away Max Holloway ... That's how good that guy is ... Bro, that guy is so legit. To do that to Max. I wonder if Max is significantly drained at '45."
Furthermore, they discussed a potential fight between Ilia Topuria and current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Joe Rogan stated that Topuria has primarily fought at featherweight, apart from taking a lone lightweight bout on short notice against Jai Herbert.
For context, Topuria has competed at bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight -- mainly at featherweight.
'El Matador' KO'd Herbert in round two of their back-and-forth clash in 2022. Implying that Topuria is best suited for featherweight, Rogan said:
"No, Ilia has been '45 his whole career, except the Jai Herbert fight; took that on short notice and knocked out Jai Herbert. Ilia is a beast, man. He's the f**king one hundred percent real deal ... But he's perfect for '45."
Check out Rogan's reaction to Topuria's KO below:
Watch Joe Rogan's complete live reactions to both stoppages below (2:04:23 and 2:42:42):