UFC color commentator Joe Rogan believes the organization was wrong to use one incident to hype up the fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor.
It’s safe to say that no fight has had the kind of animosity both before and after it as Nurmagomedov’s bitter rivalry with McGregor. Their hatred for one another culminated in a bad-blood headliner at UFC 229, where Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor with a neck crank before jumping the cage and attacking the Irishman’s corner.
‘The Eagle’ lost his cool after a build-up fueled with controversy — and sparked by actions that caused the Irishman to get arrested. After a clash between the Dagestani and McGregor’s teammate Artem Lobov, the former champ-champ headed to Brooklyn to confront the soon-to-be lightweight king before UFC 223.
McGregor attacked a bus carrying UFC fighters, including Nurmagomedov, at Barclays Center. The Dubliner threw a dolly at the vehicle, shattering a window and injuring several individuals.
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Joe Rogan disagreed with UFC using the bus attack to promote Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor
While McGregor’s actions placed him in police custody and resulted in community service, the UFC evidently saw an opportunity.
The promotion capitalized on the incident by using it to further promote the Irishman’s title challenge against Nurmagomedov later in the year. UFC 229 went on to shatter PPV records by attracting a mammoth 2.4 million buys.
Reflecting on the bus attack during a recent episode of his JRE MMA Show, Joe Rogan made it clear that he disagreed with the UFC using the moment as a promotional tool.
“I admire people that don’t talk s—, but I also like a little s— talking,” Rogan said. “I do, because it’s fun.
“It gets people excited and it does get a lot of eyes on the sport. It makes for more pay-per-view buys, which is why I think the UFC encourages it. Whether they encourage it or not, they use those things.
“Like when Conor fought Khabib, they threw in the video of Conor throwing the f—— dolly at the bus. You remember that? Which is crazy,” Rogan added.
“It’s kind of almost encouraging that kind of behavior, which is crazy.”
McGregor’s controversial behavior has not let up since. He has been caught in a multitude of legal issues, including striking an elderly man and being found liable in a civil sexual assault lawsuit.
Joe Rogan slammed Conor McGregor during the UFC 223 broadcast
Rogan’s comments are far from a surprise given how he reacted to McGregor’s bus attack at the time.
At the start of UFC 223, an event that lost some of its fighters due to the injuries sustained as a result of the Irishman’s dolly throw, Rogan laid into McGregor.
“It’s a disgrace,” Rogan said. “It’s pathetic, it’s disgusting. I hate it.
“I hate that it happened. And I hate that it happened, caused by a guy I love. I’m a giant Conor McGregor fan, and to see him step out this badly just really, really upsets me.”