UFC 281 dumbfounded a lot of people. And Joe Rogan is one of them. In the latest episode of his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, Steve-O joined him and the two went on talking about Israel Adesanya losing to Alex Pereira. The 55-year-old is a massive sports fan himself, so when he watches a good fight or excellent sportsmanship, it really moves him. Rogan got emotional at one point, talking about how well Adesanya handled his loss.

It was shocking for Joe Rogan to see how Adesanya, who is in his prime, got knocked out by Alex Pereira. Not many even knew who Pereira was up until his fight against Adesanya was announced. And now, he’s the reigning UFC middleweight champion.

Joe Rogan loved the way Israel Adesanya handled his defeat

During the podcast, a teary-eyed Rogan lauded how Adesanya had handled his loss. He said, “Dude, the way he responded to that loss is better than anybody ever. The dude shows up at the press conference with a f*****g fur coat, like a king. With his dope a** watch on and just says, ‘He got me’.” 

Continuing, Joe Rogan cited Israel Adesanya, “I mean, he basically said, ‘The hunter is now the hunted. I’m coming after him. I’m gonna find a way to beat that dude. I was on my way to beating him, and he got me.’ And he was honest about all of it.” Joe Rogan believes that Israel Adesanya handled his loss “like a king,” and couldn’t stop applauding Adesanya for that.

Adesanya’s demand of bringing a specific referee back

The conversation led its way to the stoppage of the Adesanya vs. Pereira fight. Additionally, Joe Rogan praised Marc Goddard, the referee for the fight between Adesanya and Pereira, as being among the best in the world. He added that Herb Dean currently holds the top ranking and that Goddard is in the second spot.

Joe Rogan recalled Israel Adesanya demanding on bringing back Steve Mazzagatti. “He was saying bring back Steve Mazzagatti (laughs). Cause Steve Mazzagatti was a referee that was like famous for fights go way too long.” And in the post-fight conference of UFC 281, Israel Adesanya stated that he was feeling “fine” when the fight was stopped. However, his coaches told him it was right, so Adesanya went along with their word.

Read more: “I Fed Into That One”- Joe Rogan Forced to Correct Himself After He Told an Unfounded Story on the Joe Rogan Experience

Further discussing the fighters, Rogan said that Alex Pereira is one of the best kickboxers of all time, but Adesanya is a better striker. Although Rogan believes that The Last Stylebender lacks the power that Poatan possesses. 

Joe Rogan even acknowledged how incredible Alex Pereira is as a fighter. He claimed that Pereira is a “Legitimate descendant of Amazon Tribesman”. Additionally, according to Rogan, Alex Pereira will become a force to be reckoned with if he masters takedowns and wrestling.

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Adesanya’s loss was indeed a very upsetting moment, and many UFC fans felt exactly how Joe Rogan felt. But it is a part and parcel of the fighting business. We hope to see Israel Adesanya back in action too and it goes without saying, a rematch with Alex Pereira is a must now.