As we all know, Dana White has called out fights that he found boring time and time again. One UFC star who’s been at the forefront of such a label is Magomed Ankalaev. He’s been scratching and clawing for a title shot, but the UFC CEO and the matchmaking team always seem to match him up with other top contenders, and not the champion. Guess what? Joe Rogan doesn’t approve of that decision from the boss.

Since 2018, ‘Russian Terror’ has been on a roll. He lost his first UFC fight against Paul Craig, but more than redeemed himself by maintaining an unbeaten record ever since. As such, Ankalaev has become one of Joe Rogan’s current favorite fighters. The UFC color commentator even mentioned what Dana White had to say about one of his fights, which was against former champion Jan Blachowicz, for which he got a lot of stiff. White claimed it was a “horrible fight,” but Rogan believes that Ankalaev did what he had to do.

“I’m a big fan of Ankalaev. I think he got a real raw deal [and] I think the Jan Blachowicz fight is not his fault [because] it was a great fight and I thought he did what he had to do to win,” Joe Rogan stated in a recent ‘JRE Fight Companion’ episode. One of his guests on that episode, Brendan Schaub, would point out that Dana White didn’t rate the Russian juggernaut. Well, Rogan had a simple suggestion as the 57-year-old suggested that White should become a “purist”.

“I think you’ve got to be a purist. I think the best guys have to fight the best, period, and that’s [Ankalaev] one of the f—ing best guys for sure,” Joe Rogan further stated. Besides garnering the longtime commentator’s backing, Magomed Ankalaev also has something to be happy about. After all the chase, the journey to get a title shot, the 32-year-old may just get his wish as Dana White somewhat confirmed that he is the No.1 contender after his UFC 308 win.

Dana White changed tune on Magomed Ankalaev after UFC 308

Aleksandar Rakic, despite causing some trouble to Magomed Ankalaev in Abu Dhabi, failed to capture the win. In the aftermath of the event, Dana White surprisingly praised the Russian star, claiming that “he looked good.” That’s when the big question popped up about his admission into the title scene. The reporters questioned if this win made Ankalaev the next title shot contender; the 55-year-old made a comment that was music to the 20-1-1 fighter and his fans around the world.

“I would have to say yes [he is the No.1 contender],” the head honcho stated during the post-fight presser. All the hard work and the relentless drive towards the 205lbs gold could finally pay off for the Russian. Things have already been heating up between him and Alex Pereira over on social media, so the UFC CEO already has a story brewing between these two light heavyweights for an eventual clash inside the Octagon.

What do you think about Joe Rogan backing Magomed Ankalaev against Dana White’s comments? Will he be an issue for the ever-dominant Brazilian champion? Let us know in the comments down below.