“Oh, it’s already disappointing. This round is very disappointing for Nurmagomedov.” – Joe Rogan during round four of UFC 223’s main event.
Not for the first time, Joe Rogan has received some criticism for his UFC commentary. Some fans took issue with the colour commentator’s offerings during UFC 223’s headliner.
Khabib Nurmagomedov scored a landslide victory over Al Iaquinta to win the lightweight championship. The judges’ scorecards of 50-44, 50-43, 50-43 suggest it was a one-sided fight, and it really was. Nurmagomedov dominated on the ground and outstruck his adversary.That being said, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the undefeated Dagestani.
There was a notable drop off in his performance in the third and fourth round. All three of his takedown attempts in these frames were stuffed. Although he was never in any real trouble of getting rendered unconscious, Iaquinta was able to magnify some perceived holes in the stand-up department. He kept his chin up high which made him susceptible to being clipped.
Conor McGregor has been stripped #UFC223 https://t.co/daPUmtowLj
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) April 8, 2018
High standards
When Rogan called Nurmagomedov’s showing in round four ‘disappointing,’ Jimmy Smith retorted, ‘Your standards are so high, Joe.’ This came after Rogan had some criticism about Nurmagomedov’s stand-up.
“He has (been outstriking Iaquinta), but it’s not impressive. These shots are ok, but it’s not like we’re watching a world class striker. We’re watching a guy who’s hitting a guy with jabs that he’s already beaten up on the ground and he’s avoiding this guy’s power punches, but this in no way’s dominance on the feet. He’s winning. He’s winning with the jab and he’s bloodying Al’s face up, but Al’s dangerous right here.”
Rogan has since taken to Instagram to release a statement regarding his commentary on the fight. He admitted that he focused on the openings he saw in Nurmagoemdov’s game. They piqued his interest, so he wanted to discuss them on air. He offered his apologies to anyone who was annoyed about him concentrating on the openings he saw in “an incredibly dominant performance by one of the most impressive guys in the history of the division.”
You can check out the statement in full below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhVkUgKnexE/?utm_source=ig_embed
