As expected, UFC 308 ended with a bang that many didn’t really expect. Max Holloway clashed against Ilia Topuria with all his might in the main event. However, it wasn’t the BMF champion who came out on top. ‘El Matador’ successfully defended his featherweight belt against ‘Blessed’ by registering him as a resident of the negative zone with a left hook in the third round. This made the entire MMA fanbase stand on their feet and watch in disbelief. And naturally, the outing also left UFC color commentator, Joe Rogan flabbergasted!

Even the UFC head honcho, Dana White, was worried about Holloway. Needless to say, the way he dropped down after Topuria’s punch connected with his chin, had the fighting realm concerned. But what did the JRE host have to say about Topuria’s KO victory? 

Ilia Topuria leaves Joe Rogan in awe with his KO victory at UFC 308

Despite being one of the core members of the UFC commentary team, Rogan wasn’t present at the UFC’s 20th event in Abu Dhabi. Instead, he invited Brendan Schaub, Bryan Callen, and Eddie Bravo, on the set of JRE, for yet another episode of the JRE Fight Companion. No wonder, the bouts at UFC 308 greatly entertained the 4 men. But it was the main event that engraved them all. 

During the third round of the championship fight, Topuria dictated the bout with his strong fists, right before finishing his opponent off. Weighing in on that, Rogan said. ”I think he’s coming around this third round. Ooooh! Oh my goodness! He’s getting rocked! Oh my goodness!” 

The MMA Coach, Bravo, was pretty intrigued by Topuria’s performance against Holloway. He questioned about the featherweight champion’s roots, and the others revealed that the Georgian-born fighter grew up in Spain. And that was when Topuria knocked Holloway out. No doubt, it was something that the JRE host didn’t think would materialize. 

The famed UFC color commentator exclaimed in shock, “Oh, he dropped him with a left hook! Oh, Jesus! Oh my goodness! Bro, the first guy to put away Max Holloway.” ‘El Matador’ indeed became the first man to have knocked Holloway out in his entire fighting career. The only other fighter who defeated ‘Blessed’ with a finish was Dustin Poirier. Back in 2012, ‘The Diamond’ submitted Holloway with a triangle armbar. 

No wonder, Rogan was flabbergasted with the Spaniard’s performance. He finally said, “That’s how good that guy is… Bro, that guy is so legit. To do that to Max?” But did you know that Topuria himself was in awe of his performance?

‘El Matador’ talks about defeating Max Holloway

Holloway is someone who has garnered quite a bit of respect from the entire fighting community. And Topuria is one among them. Talking about his win in the post-fight interview, ‘El Matador’ said, “To be honest, man. I don’t know. To beat a legend like Max Holloway is something that I can’t even believe, you know. I just followed his entire career. He inspired me so much in my career. He’s been a great example for the generation.” 

‘Blessed’ is definitely not a sore loser. Instead of lashing out at the featherweight champion, he praised his opponent for the kind of performance he displayed. “He was just the better man tonight,” was all Holloway had to say. 

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t up for a rematch. The BMF champion left the book open, with the hope of fighting ‘El Matador’ once again. But that is something only time has the power to materialize.

Did the fight proceed as per your predictions? Let us know what you think of Rogan’s reaction in the comments down below.