“Dude Definitely Could Have Died” – Joe Rogan Still in Disbelief After Two Decades Over UFC Legend’s Scary KO

When you’ve been around combat sports as long as Joe Rogan, you’ve seen moments that make jaws drop and hearts race. And when talking about MMA, few things are as awe-inspiring—or terrifying—as a perfectly executed slam. The kind that doesn’t just knock a fighter out but leaves everyone watching stunned, questioning how one human can do that to another.

Fast forward to the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) episode no. 2242, where Joe Rogan sat down with Bert Sorin, president and co-founder of Sorinex Exercise Equipment and a man who knows a thing or two about strength. In the course of their conversation, the UFC color commentator was reminded of a moment so shocking it still makes him shudder, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson’s iconic ‘powerbomb’ knockout of Ricardo Arona in PRIDE!

Joe Rogan re-visits Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson’s ‘powerbomb’ as he points out “the worst case scenario” for a grappler  

The conversation between Joe Rogan and Bert Sorin began with the guest sharing an almost comical anecdote about his experiences with grappling. Sorin revealed, “One time I was goofing around with my buddy, we call him the Cyborg. He’s an absolute, just monster of a human and he and I were goofing around and I was on my back and like, so I kind of got him like a leg scissors on his head and I grabbed his arm and I’m like, I’m going to pull his arm off. I’m a big strong deadlifter, I’m like I got him, I finally got him.”

Sorin then confessed that his buddy ‘Cyborg’ stood at 6’2 290 pounds, and while he initially thought he had his friend passing out, things took a drastic turn. How? He further shared, “I thought he was going out and he kind of went and woke up and he picked me up while I was hanging on and then just slammed me down on the ground.”

Rogan chuckled, but his mind was already racing back to the slam to end all slams as he stated, “You want to see the worst version of that ever? Rampage Jackson vs Ricardo Arona, did you ever see that in PRIDE? It’s the worst case scenario of holding on to like a triangle while a guy picks you up.”

As his producer pulled up the fight on screen, the JRE host continued, “So look at this, he’s caught in the triangle, watch how Rampage does this. Bro, that was one of the worst KO’s in the history of the sport. I mean that dude could have…definitely could have died, he probably got the worst trauma, the worst brain trauma…”

Sorin, now watching intently, muttered, “Did he knee himself in the face too?” Rogan wasn’t sure but agreed the impact was catastrophic. The fallout from that slam was almost as significant as the slam itself. “Ricardo Arona was never the same again,” Rogan noted grimly.

The slam occurred at PRIDE Critical Countdown in 2004. But it isn’t just a highlight; it’s a piece of history that speaks to the primal essence of combat sports. It’s a moment that transcends time, a story told and retold, each time eliciting the same wide-eyed amazement. After all, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson wasn’t just an MMA fighter; he was a wrecking ball with gloves. But surprisingly, in his own words, this was the only time in his fighting career that he ever lost his cool!

‘Rampage’ reveals the story behind his infamous ‘powerbomb’ and why he did it

Before his UFC days, ‘Rampage’ had already made a name for himself in PRIDE, terrorizing opponents with his heavy hands and unrelenting aggression. But his fight against Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Ricardo Arona was different. It wasn’t just about skill or strategy. This one got personal.

During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet on YouTube, Jackson shared, “I had to end that fight. If he would’ve kicked me one more time… I couldn’t pretend I wasn’t in pain. This is the only time I ever lost my temper in a fight.”

According to Jackson, Arona was targeting Rampage’s head with punishing heel kicks. Each strike landed like a hammer blow, testing the Memphis native’s grit. One kick dislocated his jaw, leaving him reeling. ‘Rampage’ admitted the pain was unbearable, but he gritted his teeth and soldiered on.

Then came the moment that changed everything. Jackson continued, “He told the referee, ‘Oh, he knocked out’. See, those referees out there didn’t like me, so I didn’t trust the referees. If the referee was on his s**t, he could’ve called the fight. So, that p***ed me off. If you go back and watch the fight, it was right after that I powerbombed him.”

As such, Joe Rogan’s reaction on the JRE perfectly captured the lasting impact of ‘Rampage’ Jackson’s powerbomb. As he described it, this wasn’t just a knockout—it was a moment where the raw intensity of combat sports broke through the screen, leaving even the most seasoned fans stunned. Pair that with Rampage’s confession of losing his temper for the first and only time in his career, and you have a story that bridges raw emotion and ferocious technique! What are your thoughts on the ‘powerbomb’ that still echoes in the MMA sphere today? Let us know in the comments below!