Joe Rogan is an MMA pundit like no other. The wealth of information he has about health and just the art of fighting is almost unmatched. Part of it also comes from personal experience, like this time around when he spoke about Dricus Du Plessis’ septum surgery, citing the relief he found from his own.

A deviated septum makes it a struggle to breathe. And that can be a big problem if you’re an MMA fighter in the world’s most famous promotion. Dricus Du Plessis used to fight with that issue and it just looked odd to observers. Here’s how Rogan broke down the benefits.

Joe Rogan on why Dricus Du Plessis needed nose surgery

It is well known now that Dricus Du Plessis had a deviated septum. Spectators would often see him rapidly breathe out of his mouth and be out of breath at the same time. To many, it would look like the fighter just lacks conditioning. However, there was more to it.

During a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan sat down with UFC fighter Sean Brady where the two started discussing surgeries and injuries. While Brady explained that he’s had no surgeries that have come as a result of injuries, Rogan opened up about his experience with a nose surgery.

“I never knew, like how much cardio I was missing, not being able to breathe out of my nose,” the color commentator said. Rogan himself got his septum fixed in 2009, so he very much understood why Du Plessis would benefit from the same. He explained, “Look at like Dricus Du Plessis, when he got his nose fixed, like he used to always fight with his mouth open and people thought he was out of shape and the guy just can’t breathe out of his nose.” 

Joe Rogan is correct on his take. Du Plessis was reportedly getting very less oxygen through his nostrils, only about 8% if his coach, Morne Visser is to be believed. Being this impaired for a fight is not a great place to be in.

Thankfully, the South African had his deviated septum corrected in April, 2023. Now, he can breathe free as he battles Sean Strickland.

Du Plessis has been chasing that belt and only that belt

When Israel Adesanya had the belt, Du Plessis beefed with him. Now, with Strickland being the middleweight champion, his focus has shifted back to him. He noted once how he was focused on the belt and not on who was wearing it. So his beef with Adesanya was nothing but a way to become champion.

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Now, with the ‘Stylebender’ out of the way, Du Plessis has a shot at the belt. He will go up against ‘Tarzan’ at UFC 297 after a long time of beefing, brawling, and verbally assaulting one another. Will the fight be as brutal as the events leading up to it? Most likely.

Both the fighters are interesting in their own ways with Strickland’s unorthodox style and Du Plessis’ sheer pressure. Who will win? Give us your thoughts in the comments.

Also Read: 55-Year-Old Joe Rogan Discloses His “Greatest” Health Decision That Helped Him Breathe Better