Weight cutting in combat sports – one of the most contentious topics in the fight world. Fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev have often been accused of being weight bullies, competing at 155 lbs but walking around at 185-200 lbs outside of competition. And boy, did Joe Rogan have some things to say about weight-cutting in MMA. What exactly did he say? Well, that’s what we’re here to discuss in yet another episode of MMA Roundup.

From Joe Rogan’s thoughts on weight-cutting, we’ll move on to news of Khabib Nurmagomedov and a message he had for his cousin. Finally, we’ll take a look at Jeremy Stephens, recently victorious in his BKFC Knucklemania 5 fight, who had something emotional to share with the world. So, without further ado, let’s get right into it.

Joe Rogan slams the UFC amidst weight-cut horrors by the fighters

Apart from the worst outcomes in a fight – getting knocked out, put to sleep, and suffering gruesome injuries while competing – what is the most horrifying thing for a UFC fighter? If you guessed weight cuts, you’re absolutely right. While weight cutting is a normal part of any sport, it can be quite dangerous for fighters with some fighters experiencing severe health problems, sometimes making trips to the hospital. Veteran fight commentator Recently, Joe Rogan didn’t hold back when it came to the aspect of weight cutting in the UFC.

While speaking to Jiri Prochazka on the JRE MMAShow #165, Rogan said, “I think weight-cutting should be eliminated. I said this to Ari Emanuel [CEO of Endeavor] when they first bought the UFC. I said, ‘Listen man, you know what you [should] do? Get rid of weight-cutting, just stop it… If you can randomly test people for drugs, you can randomly test their weight.”

He further added, “Instead of having weight cuts just find out what the champion weighs. Don’t get rid of the championship belts. Find out what does Islam Makhachev weigh. Islam Makhachev is a UFC champion [and] the best pound-for-pound fighter on Earth. Find out what he weighs. What do you weigh if you were healthy, if weight cutting didn’t exist? Would it be 185 [or] 190? Whatever that is… That’s how you fight now and we’re not going to weigh you in the day before and let you rehydrate. That’s crazy talk. Fight people your size.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov pens down a heartwarming message for Usman Nurmagomedov

Despite two out of three wins, January 18th was not a good night in the office for Team Khabib. Umar Nurmagomedov, despite his best efforts, couldn’t launch a meaningful assault on the champion Merab Dvalishvili, instead, we all saw the ‘Dagestan Wall’ being breached. It was a big L for Team Khabib. However, there was some semblance of relief following the PFL: Road to Dubai event on January 25th, when Usman Nurmagomedov, younger brother of Umar, beat Paul Hughes in a razor-thin contest to retain his PFL-Bellator lightweight title. An utterly relieved Khabib Nurmagomedov took to Instagram to share a heartfelt message for his cousin.

“Congratulations Brother @usman_nurmagomedov on another successful title defense, you have done a great job in the big arena over the past couple of years, and of course a great job at the hall in your life,” Khabib wrote as a caption for an old family photo on Instagram. “You’re going to show the world a lot of mixed martial arts and you’re only dispersed and you still continue to learn and get stronger with each fight. Keep working harder, the further [you go] – the harder your opponents will be,” wrote the former UFC lightweight champion as he uploaded a photo of them.

Jeremy Stephens opens up about his dark past in his MMA career

Former UFC fighter, Jeremy Stephens proved everyone wrong when he clinched the victory against former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez at BKFC Knucklemania 5. Going into the clash, Stephens was an underdog and many expected the Philadelphia native Alvarez to win in his hometown. That wasn’t the case, as two knockdowns in round three saw the Alvarez corner throwing in the towel, thus awarding the victory to ‘Lil Heathen’.

After the victory, the former UFC featherweight made a painful confession, “I did it for me, bro. I don’t need anyone’s respect. I have been in the darkness. I have been knocked out before and no one f—–g called me. Not my Mom, not my dad. No offense, but f–k everybody. They all went against me.”

Quite a sad state of affairs for Stephens, but a sweet victory nevertheless. What’s even better is the fact that there might be a fight against ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor sometime in the future, given that they both faced off after the BKFC Knucklemania 5 main event. But only time will tell if we’ll ever see that fight. Regardless, what’s your take on the latest developments in the MMA world? Share your thoughts in the comments below.