Remember the UFC’s first event in Chile in 2018? It was originally supposed to feature a welterweight clash between Kamaru Usman and Santiago Ponzinibbio. However, Ponzinibbio had to withdraw due to injury, and the former middleweight title challenger Demian Maia stepped in. As he took the fight on short notice, the Brazilian legend struggled to execute his signature grappling against Usman. There was, however, a pivotal moment in the first round when Maia managed to secure back control of ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’.

Unfortunately, referee Leon Roberts intervened, separating them and altering the course of the fight. This controversial moment has remained a topic of debate ever since. Recently, the Demian Maia vs. Kamaru Usman fight came up on segment #166 of the JRE MMA Show. During the episode, former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria joined Joe Rogan, and the podcaster reminisced about the UFC Fight Night 129 headliner.

Speaking about the fight, Rogan said, “To this day, the one fight that drives me the most crazy where a referee fu–ed it up was Kamaru Usman and Demian Maia. Because in the first round, Demian Maia had Kamaru Usman’s back, standing up, had one leg laced, had his back, but it was taking too long, and the referee separated them. And I’m like, ‘You moth—–ker, he’s so close. He’s so close! This is it! Look at this s–t, Kamaru Usman’s in deep s–t here… And the referee fuc—g separated him. This is crazy. This drives me nuts.”

In the first round of their fight, Maia—known for his world-class clinch game and ability to control from the back—was able to secure Usman’s back after hooking one of his legs. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’, desperate to avoid the position, pressed them both against the fence, which led to the referee stepping in and separating them. This loss marked the Brazilian’s third consecutive defeat, following previous losses to Tyron Woodley for the title and a hard-fought battle against Colby Covington.

Despite the losing streak, Maia rebounded in his next fight, securing a three-fight win streak. Unfortunately, his momentum was halted in his next two bouts, and he was eventually cut from the promotion. For Rogan, known for his dislike of unnecessary referee interference inside the Octagon, the decision that night still irks him. Let’s see what Rogan had to say about a more recent situation!

Joe Rogan reacts to the UFC 314 controversial stoppage

April 2025’s only pay-per-view event became the talk of the town for all the right reasons, boasting a stacked fight card and exciting matchups that kept fans on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. However, controversy emerged during the preliminary bout between featherweight contenders Dan Ige and Sean Woodson. With about four minutes remaining in the fight, Ige unleashed a flurry of punches, forcing Woodson to shoot for a takedown. Ige followed up with more strikes before referee Andrew Glenn stepped in and stopped the fight.

Woodson immediately protested the decision, and the commentary team, including Joe Rogan, expressed their discontent with the stoppage. On the UFC 314 broadcast, Rogan vented his frustration at referee Andrew Glenn, saying, “That’s crazy. Bad stoppage. That’s a bad stoppage. I do not understand that. That’s a terrible stoppage. That was one of the worst stoppages I’ve ever seen. You’ve got to let a guy recover. He was getting hit with some short shots while he was covering up.”

Daniel Cormier, also on commentary, shared his dissatisfaction with the referee’s decision. He added, “The kid loses part of his paycheck. And I want to know the scorecards after that because if he was up two rounds, that guy just had a horrible, horrible stoppage.” What’s your opinion on the recent issues with referees making questionable stoppages inside the Octagon? Should these kinds of mistakes come with consequences for the referee, much like they do for the fighters? Share your thoughts below.