Joe Rogan shares embarrassment over on-air blunder, recalls butchering 'Nurmagomedov' surname during live telecast
Joe Rogan is one of UFC's most experienced sportscasters and the most recognizable name when it comes to MMA commentating. Despite having over two decades on the job, Rogan is only human and is not perfect all this time.
One of the most embarrassing moments of Rogan's broadcasting career came at UFC 272 in 2022 when he found himself struggling to properly pronounce Umar Nurmagomedov's surname, following the latter's win over Brian Kelleher.
When Rogan tried to wrap up the post-fight octagon interview by lauding the fighter, the podcaster stuttered and stammered before absolutely mispronouncing the surname 'Nurmagomedov'.
Talking to welterweight champion Belal Muhammad on the The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the 57-year-old said:
"Yo, I butchered his name one time so bad. It couldn't get out of my mouth. I don't know what it is, sometimes my mouth does not work right... Like what did I say? I felt so bad because I really love the guy."
Catch Joe Rogan's comments below:
Following Khabib Nurmagomedov's legendary career and his cousins, Umar and Bellator lightweight champion Usman finding success in MMA, the Nurmagomedov surname now has a somewhat royalty status in the sport.
Moreover, Rogan's appreciation for Umar is well-founded. The Dagestani is 18-0 in MMA and earned a dominant unanimous decision win over Corey Sandhagen in his last fight. The 28-year-old is the most likely candidate to get a crack at the winner of the bantamweight title clash between Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili.
Catch the full JRE episode below:
When Joe Rogan picked Khabib Nurmagomedov over Jon Jones as the MMA GOAT
The scale on the MMA GOAT debate might have tipped over to Jon Jones' side following his heavyweight title win at UFC 285. However, Joe Rogan once opined that Khabib Nurmagomedov was a better fighter than 'Bones'.
During an episode of the JRE, Rogan claimed that 'The Eagle' had more dominant rounds in his career and fought in a much tougher division than the former light heavyweight champion:
"He is the greatest lightweight of all time for sure, and maybe even the greatest fighter of all time. Jon Jones has a better resume in terms of the accomplishments, but Khabib has a better resume in terms of the amount of rounds of dominance. Also Khabib, with no disrespect, went through a harder division... There is more talent in the 155 pound division than in the light heavyweight division."
Catch Joe Rogan's comments below: