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“I’m Thinking She’s Gonna…” – When Mike Tyson and Joe Rogan Once Got Emotional and Cried Their Eyes Out for UFC Star Rose Namajunas

Published 09/01/2023, 10:49 AM EDT

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Mike Tyson loves the fight game. As a teenager, Tyson used to watch a lot of old fights as part of his training regimen from his mentor and coach Cus d’Amato’s film library. And he talks about fighting with the same twinkle in his eye as another famous person, Joe Rogan.

Rogan too loves the fight game. To the point that the host of a podcast worth hundreds of millions commentates in the UFC mostly because he loves the sport. The former martial artist has been part of many memorable moments as a post-fight octagon interviewer. One such moment came after Rose Namajunas defeated Zhang Weili at UFC 261, where both Rogan and Namajunas got emotional. And a clip of Rogan and Tyson getting emotional discussing that fight on JRE is doing the rounds.

Mike Tyson discusses Rose Namajunas vs. Zhang Weili with Joe Rogan

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Tyson recalled the time he talked to Dana White about the then-upcoming fight between Zhang Weili and Rose Namajunas, and praised Namajunas. This prompted a response from her Chinese opponent who felt Mike Tyson was not qualified to speak on MMA. And when Namajunas defeated Weili, ‘Iron Mike’ was very happy.

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“I said right, Rose is hot and the Chinese girl [Zhang Weili] she was gonna fight said, ‘listen Mike doesn’t know nothing’… And she wanted to fight me then. I’m so happy Rose knocked [her] out. I thought she was gonna kill Rose, because I said, well Rose is hot and [Zhang Weili said] it’s obvious that Mike Tyson doesn’t know nothing about the fight game… And I’m thinking she’s gonna kill Rose. But Rose clocked her. Beautiful kick. Beautiful kick,” Tyson said.

Rogan recalls intense post-fight interview with Namajunas

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Joe Rogan also fondly recalled watching ‘Thug Rose’ before the fight and seeing her repeat “I’m the best” over and over again. Rogan discusses this with her in the post-fight interview, to which Namajunas said “I am the best”.

“And she’s sitting there going, ‘I’m the best, I’m the best, I’m the best’. She just kept saying that. She was right, too. And then when I interviewed her afterwards, she goes yeah I am the best, and we were laughing it was really funny,” Rogan told Tyson.

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Few things can elicit such strong emotions as sports can. And few sports can elicit the same emotions as combat sports. While Namajunas’ career may have gone downhill in the past few years, as she gets ready to take on Manon Fiorot at UFC Fight Night Paris tomorrow, she will have many fans in her corner.

Watch this Story–Jorge Masvidal Wins the Race Against Mike Tyson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Triple H to Become Dwayne Johnson’s Successor at UFC 291 for the BMF Title

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Written by:

Kanishk Thakur

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Kanishk Thakur is an MMA writer at EssentiallySports. A graduate in political science from Delhi University, his love for writing and MMA made him want to be part of telling the story of the sport. His journalist mother and love for philosophy and research inculcated a staunch rationalism in him, and the need to substantiate every statement he makes with good evidence.
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Edited by:

Abhishek Das