Isn't that the guy from Fear Factor? That's exactly what would have popped up in an MMA rookie's head when they saw Joe Rogan while watching a major UFC show for the very first time.
Rogan's ticket to fame may have come from being the host of the American stunt/dare game show but he was part of the UFC payroll right from the promotion's humble beginnings. Rogan was picked up by the Dana White and co. in 1997 and has been a faithful servant ever since.
Along the way, he has assumed hosting duties, acted in many shows and movies, advanced enormously as a stand-up comedian, and has put together one of the most engaging podcasts across the interwebs. Anyone who watches the Joe Rogan Experience would tell you how amazing it is. They would also tell you about Rogan's recreational pot usage and his fixation with chimpanzees.
Beyond the aforementioned activities, Rogan is a hardcore MMA fan who himself has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Eddie Bravo's Tenth Planet iteration. He was also a talented kickboxer back in the day who had to call it quits early in his career owing to the fear of brain damage. Rogan is legit and the best MMA color commentator in the history of the sport. He, however, moonlights as a comedian and often ends up being a part of some absolutely hilarious moments.
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This slider takes a look at those unforgettable bits pertaining exclusively to the UFC.
#5 Joe Rogan and the Ice Spill
Starting off with the most infamous one of the lot; Rogan vs. The Ice Spill!
The incident took place during the prelims of UFC 109 in the Lightweight fight between Melvin Guillard and Ronys Torres. A cornerman's momentary lapse of concentration led to an ice bag getting spilled onto the canvas and the subsequent tomfoolery of the ringside officials triggered Rogan to uproarious extents.
The officials began cleaning up all the mess but only made it worse as they panicked and struggled to get the fight going. In the meantime, Rogan gave a play-by-play commentary of the 'three stooges' attempts at sweeping off the ice from the mat and even expressed his concern for Arianny Celeste who could have slipped and suffered grave head injuries!
Rogan's unfiltered anger was incredibly entertaining, so much so that UFC dedicated a video to the feud between Rogan and the Ice Spill. Cut the stooges some slack Joe, they were dealing with a slippery opponent.
#4 The UFC vs. Boxing Debate
Now we know this happened outside the UFC but it involves the promotion and the commenter was its official spokesperson.
Rogan lives and breathes mixed martial arts, and as we all know, speaks his mind without mincing his words. So, when he was pitted against American Boxing promoter Lou Dibella in a UFC vs. Boxing debate on ESPN, it was expected to be a healthy argument between two representatives of two varying sports with a similar business model.
However, Dibella's hostility towards the UFC and lack of knowledge about MMA, in general, didn't go down too well with the UFC veteran. Rogan went onto verbally obliterate Dibella, who had seemingly taken the debate all too personally. Dibella misjudged Rogan's understanding of boxing and its history and accused him of knowing nothing about the sport. Rogan fired back by stating he was a fan of boxing before underlying the fact that it was a dying breed and getting swallowed by other advanced forms of combat.
Rogan was on fire in this one as he left Dibella looking like an arrogant fool.
#3 He said what?
Rogan is as witty as they come and he is extremely spontaneous too. Sometimes, he gets carried away while calling a fight and may say things that you don't often hear on UFC TV.
The commentary of the Lightweight encounter between Frankie Edgar and Tyson Griffin at UFC 67 was going fine until Giffin's buttocks captivated Rogan's attention.
He exclaimed, "Tyson Griffin has some serious leg kicks. If he was a girl you would say she has a Badonkadonk."
Naturally, it didn't go unnoticed as Mike Goldberg was quick to point out that his fellow commentator used the work Badonkadonk on live TV. Rogan, though, didn't react and continued to be in awe of Griffin's lower body by saying, "Tyson Griffin has some sick legs. That dude looks like he got some serious squat power."
If you don't know what badonkadonk means, google it now and you'd instantly get the jocular context of the situation.
#2 Holly Holm leaves him speechless
Rogan wasn't the only one who was at a loss of words when Holly Holm knocked out Ronda Rousey at UFC 193. While many fans would have been screaming expletives in the moment of shock, others were left completely dumbfounded as the Preacher's Daughter ended the undefeated streak of the once-mythical aura of Rousey.
Most of us watched it on our TV screens and still found it unbelievable; imagine what Rogan would have felt when as he was a few feet away from where one of the biggest upsets in MMA history unfolded.
A camera caught his reactions in the aftermath of Holm's finish of Rowdy and it perfectly encapsulated what all of us felt at that very moment. Rogan is known to be one of Rousey's biggest admirers and to see her fall in the manner that it happened elicited a priceless expression that later on, predictably turned into a meme.
#1 Rogan adds the color in color commentary
A color commentator is an expert of the respective sport who assists the main commentator during a broadcast. Rogan accomplishes the designated task to perfection. He may be criticized for, at times, being biased or over-exaggerating, but he is the best to have done it and continues to do so in every prominent UFC PPV.
There have been countless moments in which Rogan shined on the mic and made a moment feel truly spectacular. The intensified emotions that a fan feels during fights has a lot to do with how it is called and Rogan compliments both the visual and audible aspect of a fan's complete experience.
Whether it was his palpable excitement to Nate Diaz' shenanigans against Anderon Silva or the heightened play-by-play rundown of the many comeback knockouts in UFC history; Rogan has truly lost it on the mic and we mean it in an appreciative way.
We leave you with his greatest moments on the mic which have been broken down into three videos. Sit back and enjoy.