Joe Rogan might be one of the most vocal personalities on the planet when it comes to giving opinions on hot topics. And when it’s about UFC vs. Boxing, the podcast king shares his views with a lot of conviction. Remember his infamous debate with Lou DiBella on ESPN? The boxing promoter labeled two men fighting inside a cage as “sort of like human cockfighting,” which enraged a passionate Joe, who replied, “Boxing is a very limited form of fighting.”

It’s been almost 18 years since that debate happened, and the UFC color commentator’s views haven’t changed much. Joe Rogan has consistently maintained—and spoken countless times—that MMA is, in fact, more dangerous when performed in a no-holds-barred setting. However, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t noticed an exception in Terence Crawford. 

Joe Rogan says no boxer belongs in the UFC except Terence Crawford

Joe Rogan and Paul Felder shared the mic in a podcast episode where they both agreed on a common point—boxers aren’t very effective in the cage. Their main argument? Wrestling. Rogan even went as far as saying that an amateur wrestler could beat a boxer in an MMA setting. However, he highlighted Crawford’s ability to develop formidable wrestling skills to match his elite hands.

He said, “You can’t get a boxer to fight in the UFC. No one wants to do that. An amateur can, will kill you. Imagine any elite wrestler that gets in there with a boxer; the boxer has a 0 chance of not being beaten. Literally 0 unless that boxer is like Crawford. Terence Crawford has a background in wrestling.”

The UFC color commentator isn’t wrong. Boxing is genuinely a very enjoyable combat sport, but when the rules aren’t intact, MMA fighters almost always come out on top. That said, when it comes to someone like Terence Crawford, the story is different. Wrestling runs in his blood—his grandfather, father, uncle, and even his kids have strong wrestling backgrounds. And the credit for honing those skills at such a high level lies with the star boxer himself.

However, Joe has often pointed out a clear skill difference. The 57-year-old once broke down how the processes of boxing and UFC differ entirely. Not just in technique, but in preparation and adaptability. He’s also used some great examples over the years to explain those differences in a way that really drives the point home.

Rogan speaks about the greatest difference between UFC and Boxing 

UFC and boxing are indeed two very different sports, operating under separate sets of rules, regulations, and business models. But Joe Rogan believes that boxing takes a more nurturing approach with its athletes, grooming their champions through a carefully measured process, unlike the UFC, where a fighter gets tough competition from the beginning.

At JRE #2242 With Guest Bert Sorin, Rogan stated, “The UFC is like when you’re ready, come to us and you’re gonna fight the best. Boxing is like, we’re gonna build you. We’re gonna take you and you’re gonna fight a few guys that are real slick, but they don’t have power, and then you’re gonna fight a big guy with a lot of power, but he doesn’t have any endurance.”

The podcast king doesn’t stop there. He also pointed to former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, who had to go through the entire featherweight division before finding success at lightweight. Rogan highlighted how Oliveira made crucial adjustments and still faced tough competition throughout his journey to the top.

He added, “So, there’s a lot of boxers, by the time they are fighting for the title. They are 4-0, 16-0, 18-0. (But) Charles Oliveira, when he became the lightweight champion, he had a ton of losses in the UFC. He was stopped by Paul Felder, Cub Swanson KO’ed him. I’m pretty sure Jim Miller knee-barred him. So he had 8 f–ing losses! And some of them are brutal knockouts. Because you’re in there with the lions!”

Both sports have their own ways of treating, developing, and building stars. It’s different in the UFC and boxing, but both processes generally seem to work in their own right. With that being said, which sport do you enjoy more—boxing or mixed martial arts? Share your thoughts in the comments below.