Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has come a long way since its early days, which were marked by a lack of regulation and weight classes. Founded in 1993, the UFC’s early events featured fights that were more akin to street brawls than regulated sports matches. Fighters from different martial arts disciplines were pitted against each other in a no-holds-barred format, with almost no rules or restrictions. In his recent podcast episode, The Joe Rogan Experience, Joe Rogan and Derek Wolfe discussed the early days of the UFC, highlighting the absence of weight classes and the mismatches that resulted.

The conversation revolved around the Keith Hackney vs Emmanuel Yarbrough fight, which took place in UFC 3 in 1994.

Joe Rogan talking about UFC’s early days

Hackney, a karate practitioner, weighed around 200 pounds, while Yarbrough was a sumo wrestler who weighed somewhere between 350 and 400 pounds, according to Rogan. The size difference between the two fighters was immense. The fight was an example of the kind of mismatches that were commonplace in the early days of UFC.

He mentioned, “There was a lot of those mismatches in terms of size-wise. Keith Hackney, he fought Emmanuel Yarbrough. Emmanuel Yarbrough was a sumo wrestler who was like f*cking 350-400 pounds.”

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Rogan also revealed that the UFC lied about fighter weights in order to hype up the fights. Yarbrough‘s weight in the fight was 600 pounds. However, Rogan felt that he weighed around 350 pounds.

The 55-year-old said, “I don’t know 600. Well, they lied a little bit but Keith Hackney was probably about 200. So, Keith Hackney, I believe he’s a karate guy….the size difference is f*cking crazy.”

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This was particularly true in cases where there were significant weight disparities between the fighters. By inflating the weights of the larger fighters, the UFC was able to create the impression of more competitive matches.

Hackney vs Yarbrough

The Hackney vs Yarbrough fight itself was a short one, lasting just over a minute. Hackney used his martial arts skills to land several blows on Yarbrough‘s head, eventually knocking him to the ground. Despite Yarbrough‘s size advantage, he was unable to mount a significant offense against Hackney. The fight was a clear example of how technical skill could triumph over raw size and strength.

Controversy and criticism marked the early days of the UFC. Many people argued that the lack of regulation and weight classes made the fights dangerous and unethical. However, as the sport evolved and became more regulated, it gained a wider audience and greater acceptance.

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Today, UFC events are highly regulated. The promotion has strict rules and weight classes designed to ensure that fighters are matched against opponents of similar size and skill levels. The conversation between Joe Rogan and Derek Wolfe highlights the extremes that were present in these early fights.