AUSTIN, TEXAS: While Joe Rogan is one of the most popular figures in the combat sports world, he came under public attention during UFC 291 which occurred on Sunday, July 30. Rogan who was appointed as a commentator for UFC 291 seemed to forget a basic fact regarding Roman Kopylov. In the bout between Kopylov and Claudio Rebeiro, Rogan forgot a basic statistic about the former and this did not sit well with fans.
Internet slammed Rogan for messing up Kopylov's stats and called out to UFC to "fire" him. However, prior to the Kopylov incident, another situation baffled the veteran commentator. Rogan was extremely distressed by what transpired in a preliminary card fight between Jake Matthews and Darrius Flowers.
'You would like to go up to 185 lbs?'
In the second round of Matthews vs Flowers, the former delivered a quick and precise front high kick aimed at his opponent. Flowers, in an attempt to gain an advantage, staged the kick as a severe and unlawful groin strike. He seemingly theatrically dropped to his knees, gripping his head in pain. As a result, the concerned referee had no choice but to call an instant timeout to allow Flowers to gather his breath and recover.
A closer look at the footage revealed that Matthews' kick was completely legal, and there was no foul play involved. Flowers' attempt at allegedly deceiving the referee and tilting the match in his favor enraged the crowd, as expected. They conveyed their displeasure with fervent boos and jeers. Flowers' actions were also noted by Rogan, who stated, "This is clearly a legal blow from our perspective." This call should have united Rogan and the fans, but this was not to be the case.
The fight between Matthews and Flowers was followed by the encounter between Kopylov and Ribeiro. Rogan interviewed Kopylov following his incredible victory over Ribeiro. Unquestionably, Rogan inquired as to who the winner wished to face next. Kopylov expressed gratitude to UFC president Dana White and the recruiters for the opportunity to fight and then announced his wish to face Sean Strickland.
Rogan then asked, "So you would like to go up to 185 lbs? You’re 185 right now… So, that would be a fantastic fight. However, Sean is very high in the rankings and up for a title shot.” This brief slip-up in miscalculating the weight of the already 185-lb Kopylov did not go over well with supporters.
'It was awkward af'
As soon as the video of the interview was posted on YouTube by the UFC's official channel, MMA fans expressed their displeasure with the commentator. One YouTube user wrote, "Joe Rogan needs to be fired what a joke of an interview." Another one added, "Please fire Joe Rogan. Forgetting that the 185 fighter fights at 185 in the interview is embarrassing." Furthermore, a fan commented on Rogan's dismissal of the fighter's callout, "Why dismiss his call out due to rankings? Strickland last two fight were the #12 followed by an unranked fighter. Smh Joe." Some fans dubbed the interview 'awkward' and said, "It’s was awkward asf." While another fan said, "Joe Rogan messes up again."
