21 Years Down the Memory Lane, Joe Rogan Recalls Enjoying Bob Sapp’s Defeat Against the Brazilian Master Who Uplifted Jiu-Jitsu – “Our Hero”

Joe Rogan is one of UFC’s most celebrated commentators. However, the color commentator is not just a commentator but an enthusiastic martial artist. Rogan also hosts a multi-million dollar podcast where he invites people from all walks of life. In a recent podcast episode, he was joined by none other than Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

‘The Rock’ was a wrestler in the WWE who transitioned to acting in movies. Dwayne Johnson found massive success in the movie industry, making him one of the highest-paid actors in the world. One topic that Rogan and Johnson covered in the podcast was a fight between Minotauro Nogueira vs Bob Sapp. Here’s how the conversation went.

Joe Rogan and Dwayne Johnson talk about Nogueira’s fight with Sapp

Joe Rogan and Dwayne Johnson talked about Minotauro Nogueira, real name Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, who once fought against Bob Sapp. Rogan claimed that the reason Nogueira beat Sapp was because of his incredible ground game. Rogan stated, “Minotauro’s Jiu-Jitsu was next level… he was really one of the first  Jiu-Jitsu black belts to have an elite guard.”

Rogan claimed that Minotauro Nogueira was so good that he could’ve been a champion at any point in history. Rogan also said, “He represented Jiu Jitsu against the worst-case scenario, a f***** super athlete… and he prevailed with skill.”

Rogan told Johnson how he and his friends celebrated when Noguera submitted the giant. Rogan said,

“I remember me and my friends watching this and when he catches him in this arm bar and he eventually gets it, we f***** jumped up and cheered.” Rogan later remarked, “He was our hero. he was our Jiu-Jitsu hero…. Minotauro Nogueira was the hero.” 

MMA was relatively new, and no one put up more insane fights than Pride FC at the time. Bob Sapp was arguably one of the most intimidating individuals in MMA back in the day. Sapp Stood tall at 6’5 with a muscular 330-pound physique. Minotauro Nogueira was no small man either, but Bob Sapp’s gigantic physique dwarfed him. Nogueira beating Sapp was nothing short of amazing. Rogan talked about Minotouro Nogueira being a champion at any point in history. How would Nogueira fare against today’s fighters?

Would the prime ‘Big Nog’ be a champion in today’s UFC?

It’s a fact that fighters have become more well-rounded as time passes in MMA. However, as Rogan claims, some fighters are well beyond their time. Fighters like Fedor Emelianenko and Minotouro Nogueira ascend time. But how would they face off against the current heavyweights of this era?

The new interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, would be the best fighter to put ‘Big Nog’ up against, as he leads the way for the new prototype of heavyweights in MMA. Aspinall is the most well-rounded MMA fighter in the heavyweight division at the current time. As good as prime ‘Big Nog’ was, Aspinall is the bigger and more well-rounded fighter and would probably have enough in his bag to pull off the victory. However, amongst the other heavyweights, ‘Big Nog’ will most likely still hold his own.

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Nogueira does have incredible Jiu-Jitsu and has 21 finishes by submission. How do you think a prime Nogueira would fare against the current top 15  of the UFC heavyweight division? Let us know in the comment section below.

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