UFC News: Joe Rogan Gets Hyped Up Over Massive UFC Headliner: ‘F****** Wild’

UFC color commentator Joe Rogan has broken his silence on a newly-minted UFC main event between two top contenders.

Zain Bando | Mar 31, 2024

Jan 21, 2022; Anaheim, CA, USA; UFC host Joe Rogan opens the program for weigh-ins at UFC 270. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

UFC color commentator Joe Rogan has broken his silence on a newly-minted UFC main event between two top contenders.

The winner of Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev will likely jockey for position as the middleweight division’s No. 1 contender and a shot at Dricus du Plessis, as it is set to take place June 22 in Saudi Arabia and air on broadcast television (ABC) for the U.S.-based audience.

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The event is one of several to take place during June, and is a week before UFC International Fight Week, culminating with UFC 303 June 29 in Las Vegas.

“That one is gonna be f****** wild,” Rogan said on his podcast upon his initial reaction to the announcement. "That is a wild one. That is a wild fight. Bro, Whittaker vs. Khamzat [Chimaev] is legit. That’s a real fight for Khamzat because Whittaker is a big dude. He’s a big, beefy 185, former champion. Both guys started at 170. That’s a real 185’er, as opposed to, like, they gave him Kamaru Usman.”

Rogan said Usman’s lack of a training camp negatively impacted his performance with Chimaev, whereas Whittaker likely won’t have the same concerns.

“He had ten days,” Rogan said when discussing Usman stepping in on short notice. “That’s not enough time. I mean, I don't even know what kind of shape he was in.”

Given his busy comedy schedule, Rogan did not concretely say who would come out victorious, as he is only part of the domestic pay-per-view broadcast team.

The card will begin at noon ET/9 a.m. PT on ESPN and ESPN+, with the main card starting at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT.

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Published Mar 31, 2024

ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of Fan Nation and the Sports Illustrated/The Arena Group umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99.