Joe Rogan wants to put an end to post-fight interviews with fighters who have just been knocked out.
The UFC commentator revealed that he would like to see a change to the current system which sees him enter the Octagon while the ring announcer, usually Bruce Buffer, reads the result before Rogan then interviews the winner and loser of the biggest fights on the card.
But Rogan believes it is unfair for competitors who have just sustained head trauma to be expected to deliver a lucid and thoughtful speech just moments after waking from unconsciousness.
The claim came in the wake of UFC 203’s main event, which Stipe Miocic claimed via first round knockout over Alistair Overeem.
#AndStill! @stipemiocicufc KOs @Alistairovereem after a thrilling fight! ? #UFC203 https://t.co/aIkMfmtw2m
— #UFC203 (@btsportufc) September 11, 2016
After speaking to the reigning champion, Rogan turned his attentions to a visibly shaken Overeem who made a bizarre suggestion that he felt his opponent tap to a guillotine choke earlier in the round but that the referee hadn’t seen it.
Using the technology available to him, Rogan pointed to the big screen and showed the sequence in question twice, with neither angle showing anything close to a tap from Miocic.
Confused and embarrassed, Overeem thanked the crowd and left the Octagon before Rogan retook his seat in the commentary booth and explained why he feels it isn’t right to speak to fighters who are trying to come to their senses after a knockout.
“Alistair believed that he tapped from the guillotine but part of that had to be the fact that he just got knocked unconscious,” Rogan said.
“There’s a lot going on in your mind after you just get completely shut off… You can’t really fault Alistair for having a distorted memory after that.
“I probably shouldn’t even interview people after they get knocked out. It’s not my call.
“I honestly believe that when someone gets knocked out, you should just leave them alone for a few days because there’s so much missing as far as their memory [is concerned].”
In the hours following the pay-per-view, Rogan continued to discuss the point and revealed that he had spoken to the UFC and asked if his new plan was possible to put into action.
I asked the UFC brass if we could please refrain from interviewing fighters after they've been KO'ed. I don't think it's wise nor fair.
— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) September 11, 2016
If you've ever talked to a friend who has been KO'ed their perception of reality can be drastically off & their memory is severely impaired.
— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) September 11, 2016
