Joe Rogan has been with the UFC longer than Dana White. The long-time UFC commentator made his first appearance in the promotion in 1997, on UFC 12, before even the Unified Rules of MMA had been formulated and adopted. The JRE podcast host has seen it all in his quarter of a century in the UFC.

Which is why it was mildly amusing to see even the JRE Podcast host be surprised at something and declare it to be a first. That is precisely what happened when Joe Rogan and his friends were watching and reacting to UFC 305 live on a Fight Companion episode.

Joe Rogan explains who booted judge off of UFC 305

In the main card of UFC 305, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Tai Tuivasa faced each other in an exciting heavyweight bout that was expected to see a finish given how both men fight. Surprisingly, their clash went to the distance and was decided on the judges’ scorecard at the end of the three stipulated rounds. Rozenstruik clearly won the fight, out-striking the Aussie by more than double in each round!

But, curiously, one of the three judges, Howie Booth scored all three rounds for Tuivasa in a scorecard that is being called the worst in the world. So terrible was the score that Booth was promptly removed and replaced from judging duties by another judge.

Young Jamie, Rogan’s producer, broke this news to the podcast host and his friends, asking Rogan if he had “ever heard of them pulling a judge off the card during the fight?” Rogan was puzzled at this development and had to confirm this was indeed the case. “No! [Judge Howie Booth, who gave] all three rounds to Tai Tuivasa has been relieved of his duties for the rest of the night,” Rogan read to his friends Brendan Scahub, Brian Simpson, and Tony Hinchcliffe.

This puzzled Simpson, who wasn’t sure who exactly booted the judge. “So wait a minute who fired the judge?” he asked Rogan. The podcast host clarified to the comic that while Dana White must undoubtedly have been unhappy at the ‘egregious’ Rozenstruik-Tuivasa scorecard and might have had a word with the officials, the decision to remove a judge was ultimately up to the Athletic Commission. Since the judges serve entirely at the Commission’s discretion, Rogan was sure were the ones who had given Booth the boot.

“Well the commission probably thought it was an egregious scorecard because we saw Jairzinho tee off on him [Tai Tuivasa] in one round,” Rogan said. But thankfully there was no controversy around the scorecards for the UFC 305 co-main and main events.

UFC 305 co-main and main events see exciting stoppages

The reason why there was no controversy around the scorecards for the UFC 305 co-main and main events; simply because they didn’t go to the judges’ scorecard at all. In the second last fight of the card, Kai Kara France stopped hometown boy Steve Erceg in the first round just as ‘Astro Boy’ looked like he was getting into a rhythm, putting together some handsome combinations.

Out of nowhere, a thundering left from ‘Don’t Blink’ stopped Erceg in his tracks and sent him crashing to the ground. The Kiwi finished the job shortly after. With this victory, Kara-France has gone to the front of the queue for a title shot at long-time champ Alexandre Pantoja.

The main event was as dramatic if not as brief as the co-main event. Champion Dricus Du Plessis and his relentless offense and well-rounded game proved too good for Israel Adesanya whose momentary lapse of concentration led to a fourth-round rear naked choke hold loss to the South African. UFC 305 and the respect they showed each other seems to have buried the hatchet on the very heated and very real enmity that the two Africans had developed for each other.

For the time being at least. Israel Adesanya being Israel Adesanya will no doubt be looking to get back on top and fight for his old title. And at that time, the knives will undoubtedly be out again. What are your thoughts on UFC 305?