For long-time UFC fans, it’s hard to imagine many of the iconic moments that took place inside the Octagon without Joe Rogan’s voice echoing in the background. His iconic commentary has been the soundtrack to countless knockouts, submissions, and five-round wars. Rogan initially started as a backstage and post-fight interview conductor for the UFC in 1997. But in 2001, when Zuffa and Dana White took over the promotion, Rogan took on the color commentator duties instead. He even did a lot of the early events for free just because of his love for the sport and his desire to see it grow!

However, with his booming comedy career, podcast, numerous interests, and ventures to keep up with, Rogan has stopped covering PPV events held outside the USA for a while now. During the pandemic, when the UFC moved to ‘Fight Island’ in Abu Dhabi to host events, Rogan had shared on an episode of the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) podcast that he didn’t go to the location because, “that’s like when they were doing the Fight Island thing, that’s a giant commitment.”

Keeping in line with this, Joe Rogan has also been reported to be absent from the commentary line-up for the upcoming UFC 305 event set to take place in Perth, Australia. In a post shared on X by MMA Orbit, it was revealed that the August 17th card will feature Jon Anik, Dominick Cruz, and Daniel Cormier calling the action for the night.

However, the fans aren’t exactly thrilled with the prospect of seeing Cruz make an appearance on a massive PPV card. The reactions indicate that the community has made it clear that they’d prefer a different voice on the microphone. Here’s a look at what the netizens had to say.

Dominick Cruz gets blasted by the fans as Joe Rogan’s absence from UFC 305 causes an uproar

Fans called for Michael Bisping to replace Dominick Cruz for the commentary duties on the night. It’s interesting to note that for UFC 284, which was also held in Perth in 2023, both Bisping and Cruz were present in the booth, but this time around, the fans aren’t on board with Cruz at all.

But why are the fans so ‘anti-Cruz’? Well, one fan pointed out that during the UFC 229 clash between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, Cruz had irked them by claiming that ‘The Notorious’ being ground and pounded by ‘The Eagle’ was a part of the Irishman’s plan!

While other fans were more blunt in their responses to Cruz’s commentary. Although the comment didn’t elaborate on why they found him to be “insufferable”.

Others brought forth an interesting proposition of having no commentary at all. The fights held at the UFC Apex during the pandemic without a crowd showcased the brutal sounds of an MMA fight, but for a massive PPV event with a live audience, it’d be hard to have a broadcast without commentary. What do you think about this fan’s idea?

Some claimed that Paul Felder would be better suited for the role than Cruz. ‘The Irish Dragon’ was a part of the UFC 301 commentary team in Brazil and is known for his enthusiasm and hype while calling the fights, bringing some of the ‘Joe Rogan charm’ to the events, while still maintaining his expertise as a former elite UFC fighter.

But amidst the salvos being fired at Cruz, one fan came to his defense as he pointed out that the former two-time UFC bantamweight champion makes sure that his commentary breaks down the technical details behind the action without any “BS”.

In conclusion, the fan opinions on Dominick Cruz as a commentator indicate that the community isn’t very happy with his inclusion in the UFC 305 broadcast team. While some have come out to defend his scalpel-like precise and technical breakdowns, many others feel as though it lacks the energy or flair that Joe Rogan, Paul Felder, or Michael Bisping bring to the table. Who is your favorite commentator in the UFC? Let us know in the comments below!