Joe Rogan has come to the defense of Islam Makhachev’s dominant wrestling performance at UFC 322, pushing back against fans who criticized the fight as boring.
In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience with comedian Brian Simpson, the longtime UFC commentator didn’t mince words about the criticism directed at the lightweight champion’s latest victory.
“Listen man, it’s boring if you’re a casual,” Rogan stated bluntly when discussing Makhachev’s performance. The champion moved up to welterweight and systematically dismantled his opponent through relentless grappling and control, earning him both praise from purists and complaints from casual viewers who prefer standup exchanges.
Rogan stated: “The fact that he was able to do it every round, it was a little frustrating cuz you wanted Jack to try to adjust, but he couldn’t, man.”
Rogan emphasized Makhachev’s technical excellence throughout the fight, noting how “Islam shut his game down right away” and attacked with devastating low kicks that had his opponent limping within the first round.
“The fact that he was able to do it every round,” Rogan explained, acknowledging that while some viewers found it frustrating, the dominance displayed was a masterclass in mixed martial arts.
The criticism of grappling-heavy performances has become a flashpoint in MMA fandom, with recent high-profile examples including Khamzat Chimaev’s wrestling-dominant victory over Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319.
Former UFC champion Demetrious Johnson even blasted fans who complained about Chimaev’s 12 takedowns and ground control, arguing that if they don’t want to watch grappling, they shouldn’t watch the UFC at all.
Rogan drew comparisons between Makhachev and his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov, who holds the record for most title defenses at 155 pounds. While praising both, Rogan noted an important distinction in their styles.
“Khabib’s standup was a means to an end,” he explained. “It was like his standup was to crack you so he’d get a hold of you and drag you to the ground and smash you.” In contrast, Makhachev has evolved into a more complete fighter with legitimate knockout power, having head-kicked Alexander Volkanovski and finished other opponents on the feet.
The podcast host attributed the Dagestani dominance in MMA to their legendary training culture. Rogan recounted how former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad trained in Dagestan and was humbled by the experience.
“I thought I trained hard until I trained with those guys,” Muhammad reportedly said. Rogan described their lifestyle as entirely devoted to martial arts: “They pray five times a day. They’re super religious. There’s no gambling. There’s no drinking. There’s no partying. There’s just training.”
This “iron sharpens iron” mentality, combined with technical mastery passed down from coaches like the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, has created a pipeline of elite fighters. Rogan noted that Abdulmanap was named by the Russian book of records as the most successful combat coach in the country, having trained 18 world champions throughout his career.
While acknowledging that Makhachev’s style may not appeal to every viewer, Rogan’s message was clear: dominant grappling is high-level MMA, and dismissing it as boring reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the sport.
