Over the past few years, UFC commentator Joe Rogan has frequently spoken out about his desire to reform the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to make the sport fairer, particularly for grapplers, and more reflective of a real fight. Among his arguments, he suggests grapplers shouldn’t be forced to stand when fights stall on the ground, and rounds should begin in the same position as they ended. And there’s more!

He’s also spoken out about having longer rounds, legalizing certain moves, drastically expanding the size of the Octagon, and not to forget, fighters should be allowed to use PEDs for recovery. Well, Joe Rogan seems to have been granted his wish—not really—as new rules take effect ahead of the UFC 319 on August 16 at the United Center in Chicago. According to combat sports lawyer Erik Magraken, the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) has approved the new Mixed Martial Arts judging criteria. As a result, ahead of UFC 319 headlined by Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dricus du Plessis, Rogan is now being asked by the Canadian lawyer to read up on the new judging criteria to better call the fights.

“Hey [Joe Rogan] – MMA has new language for judging criteria,” Canadian MMA regulatory lawyer and judge Erik Magraken wrote on X yesterday, adding, “I’d encourage you and your fellow announcers to give them a read.” But now you might be wondering—what exactly are the updated criteria? And did any of Rogan’s suggestions actually make the cut? The ABCs’ update to the Unified MMA Judging Criteria now places ‘damage’ as the top-scoring priority, aiming to clear up longstanding ambiguities in fight evaluations.

Starting with damage—evident through strikes, submissions, or visible impairment—now determines round winners, making scoring more objective. Next, for a 10-8 round, damage is essential—dominance and duration alone are insufficient, ensuring only significantly one-sided rounds with clear harm qualify. And finally, when damage is inconclusive, judges no longer prioritize aggressiveness over fighting area control in a tiered manner.

Instead, they assess which factor—aggressiveness or fighting area control—impacted the round more significantly. These changes aim to align judging with MMA’s competitive essence, rewarding fighters who inflict harm while reducing reliance on subjective metrics like cage control. The clearer language benefits fighters, judges, and fans, even though consistent usage will be key to minimizing controversial decisions.

Whether or not Joe Rogan accepts Magraken’s advice to brush up on his knowledge to improve his commentary is yet to be seen. But he has long faced criticism for being biased during his commentary.

Joe Rogan claimed he tries to be fair after past criticism

During his tenure in the UFC as a commentator, Rogan has attracted a loyal fan base thanks to his knowledge of the sport and exciting ringside commentary. However, even he couldn’t escape public scrutiny for biased commentary in several fights, including UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya, UFC 240: Cyborg vs. Spencer, UFC 277: Nunes vs. Pena, and more. 

While he has defended himself on several occasions, his statements during the December 23, 2021, podcast with Brian Simpson seem to present his stance on the repeated backlash. “I try to be very fair, always, with my commentary, and I’m also very respectful,” Rogan told Simpson. “Like, even if you think that my commentary was biased or one way or another, you’ll never think I’m disrespectful.”

It appears Joe Rogan didn’t get his wish granted in the new rules. But considering the complaints people have had with his commentary, he might want to come to terms with how things are. Do you think Rogan is biased? Does he need to understand the new rules?