Joe Rogan Gives Clarity on Islam Makhachev Getting Knocked Down by Renato Moicano at UFC 311 Fight

“I hit him with a short right on the top of the head,” said Renato Moicano while talking about the UFC 311 bout against Islam Makhachev. While he lost the title fight in round 1, there was a point in the fight where it looked like he hurt the Dagestani champion and almost knocked him down. And since then, many versions of what really happened have been discussed. For instance, Moicano believed he knocked down the champ, but there is another narrative that states Makhachev simply slipped.

And it seems like Joe Rogan would rather believe the latter. While Makhachev quickly regained control after the slip/knockdown, it became a noteworthy point in the fight. Now UFC’s color commentator has shared what he thinks about the incident. In episode #2266 of ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’, he discussed the issue with guest Brian Simpson. Rogan stated:

“The judges have monitors now. They didn’t used to have monitors. In the early days, we had to fight to get them monitors. We’re like, ‘We should be able to show them stuff in the replay that the crowd is seeing cause sometimes you think a guy got knocked down, but he didn’t. He just tripped. And it looks like he got knocked down, but it really he just got punched on the shoulder and they just fell down.

“That happened in that fight with Islam Makhachev and Moicano. Moicano caught him with a right hand and it looked he him him. We thought he dropped him. But really what happened is he kind of hit him in like the shoulder and they tripped legs together. And Islam fell down. We thought he was hurt.

“So if you are judging that, I mean Islam finished him in the first round. He subbed him in the first round so it didn’t matter, but if you saw that fight and if that went to the distance and you said, ‘Oh my God, he’s hurting him. He’s he’s rocking him on the feet’, you would maybe score that round for Moicano. When if you saw the replay, ‘Oh he didn’t rock him. He just slipped.”

Interesting Fact: With this victory, Islam Makhachev became the first lightweight champion to defend the title four times.

Do Joe Rogan’s words hold weight? Absolutely. As a seasoned commentator, Rogan was part of the broadcast team for the headline event, providing valuable insights alongside his colleagues. Renato Moicano, originally scheduled to fight Beneil Dariush on the undercard, was unexpectedly given a title shot.

Top Comment by Anonymous

Trip or not IM still got the V.

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However, ‘Money Moicano’ was unable to seize the opportunity, and after the fight, a crucial mistake on his part was revealed. What was the mistake?

Renato Moicano opened up about his loss to Islam Makhachev…

Renato Moicano’s fight against Islam Makhachev came as a last-minute opportunity, following the unexpected withdrawal of top contender Arman Tsarukyan just two days before the fight due to a back injury sustained during weight cutting. The Brazilian, who was initially slated to face Beneil Dariush, stepped in for the title shot. Although he had a strong start, ‘Money’ ultimately tapped out in the first round to a D’Arce choke from Makhachev.

After the fight, Renato Moicano reflected on his mistake in an interview, admitting that he had exposed his neck to the Dagestani fighter. He had given the division champ trouble on the feet, as his preparation had been focused on facing Beneil Dariush, known for his vulnerability to knockouts, with recent losses to Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan.

However, Moicano’s strategy didn’t translate well against Islam Makhachev. The Brazilian explained what mistake he committed. “When I started to create space and the scrambles to get back on my feet, he kind of gave me the sense that I could put my foot on his hips, pull and get back. But he did that so I could expose my neck and then, he grab with the D’Arce choke. It was very fast, and that’s why I tapped so fast.”

Well, he can only learn from the mistake. Do you think Moicano hurt Makhachev or did the Dagestani just trip? Let us know in the comments below.