Joe Rogan is one of the most well-known people in the world of combat sports. He started working with the UFC in 1997 as a backstage and post-fight interviewer. However, he quit after two years. After Zuffa took over the UFC in 2001, Dana White tried to offer him the position of a commentator, which he initially declined. However, he finally took the job and has been with the promotion since.
Joe Rogan also has a brief history in martial arts. On the eve of UFC 203, he got into a scuffle with a UFC legend. Mark Coleman, the first-ever UFC heavyweight champion, and Rogan, got into a friendly grapple. In the video, Coleman is seen having a go at Rogan, and the UFC commentator briefly takes his back, before ‘The Hammer’ gains control again.
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The former UFC fighter is seen grabbing a hold of Rogan’s neck and just pushing him away with ease. It looked like a friendly scuffle, and both men hugged it out at the end.
Mark Coleman – A pioneer of the sport
‘The Hammer’ started his MMA career in 1996. He participated in the UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournaments. At UFC 12, Coleman faced Dan Severn for the UFC heavyweight title. Coleman won the fight via a scarf-hold headlock and became the first-ever UFC heavyweight champion.
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However, he lost his title at UFC 14 in a controversial split decision. His fight with Maurice Smith went on for 21 minutes and won the ‘Fight of the Year’ in 1997. Many believed Coleman won that fight and it was considered one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. Before the fight, Coleman said that he’s going to ground-and-pound the s**t out of Smith, thus coining the term ground-and-pound. He is also known as ‘The Godfather of Ground-and-Pound.’
His last fight was back in 2010, where he faced UFC legend, Randy Couture. This was the first UFC Hall of Famer vs. UFC Hall of Famer bout in UFC history. Coleman lost the fight via technical submission in the second round. After not competing for over three years, he announced his retirement from the sport.
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Nevertheless, ‘The Hammer’ will go down as one of the most influential fighters in mixed martial arts history. What did you make of the scuffle? Let us know in the comments!
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