"I love how messy it was at the beginning" - When Robert Downey Jr. recalled watching VHS tapes of early UFC fights on Joe Rogan's podcast

Robert Downey Jr. (left) and Joe Rogan (right) [Image Courtesy: @robertdowneyjr on Instagram]

Robert Downey Jr. has been studying martial arts for a long time and is a huge fan of the UFC. The actor has attended many UFC events over the years to cheer on his favorite fighters and has admitted that he geeks out over the promotion.

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During an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the 'Iron Man' star revealed that he has been following the UFC since its early days and recalled watching old VHS tapes of UFC fights.

Here's what Robert Downey Jr. said:

"I was doing a Robert Altman film called 'The Gingerbread Man' back in the '90s and UFC had just started off. And I was getting the VHS tapes and watching them. And so when they go back, 25 years ago, I have been there. I have been there from the jump... And I love how messy it was at the beginning too because the style matchups were almost laughable until you saw the violence."

Robert Downey Jr. also shared what Wing Chun, a traditional form of martial arts, has done for his life after practicing it for years. Downey Jr. said:

"It absolutely coincided with my recovery, and the two things just somehow or other seemed to lock in... As far as it locked in with this, it was an apprentice - an apprenticeship. And it was an apprenticeship that was contingent on me being in a certain headspace."

You can watch Robert Downey Jr.'s interview on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast below:

When Robert Downey Jr. showed off his Wing Chun moves during UFC 248

The Sherlock Holmes actor was also in attendance during a women's strawweight title bout between the then champion Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248. He was seen in the audience showing off his Wing Chun moves on camera.

Show us your moves! 👊

@RobertDowneyJr in the house! #UFC248 https://t.co/TjsiFTJJUi

Following the event, Robert Downey Jr. shared the video on Sina Weibo, where he congratulated both Weili and Jedrzejczyk for their performances and called the fight a classic.