As the heavyweight division continues to get scrutinized by the fans for its inability to build credible stars, Joe Rogan also shared a brutal reality about it. With the champion, Tom Aspinall, out due to eye injury, the division has been on hold. With the division struggling, Rogan named a 60-year-old fighter to explain the bad situation of the division.

The UFC heavyweight division was once one of the most exciting divisions, featuring several athletic and hard-hitting fighters. Take Brock Lesnar or Alistair Overeem, for example. But in today’s time, it has become lackluster, with a limited number of top talents. And for that, Rogan feels even a 60-year-old retired fighter, Tank Abbott, could do well in the current heavyweight division.

Joe Rogan calls the UFC heavyweight division “shallow”

“I think Tank Abbott would do really well. Because the heavyweight division is the most shallow division,” said Rogan during #2445 of JRE. “Like, would he do really well against the guys like Ciryl Gane or Tom Aspinall? Probably not, but he didn’t do really well against guys like Maurice Smith. The real elite strikers of the day. But Tank Abbott was a f**king huge man. He was an enormous, powerful guy who had ridiculous knockout power, and he would brawl.”

Rogan then went on to shed light on Derrick Lewis. “I mean, look at Derrick Lewis. Derrick Lewis has the most knockouts in the history of the UFC. He’s not the most highly skilled guy in the sport. He’s just a really big, powerful guy who has unbelievable knockout power. Tank Abbott would still f*ck a lot of people up in the lower ranks of the heavyweight division.”

Rogan’s assessment of Lewis is quite interesting and true: solely because of his ability to knock people, Lewis has remained in the top 15 for almost his entire career. And Abbott had similar capabilities. Although he had a record of 10-15 in the UFC, Abbott won seven out of those ten fights via knockouts.

Considering the current state of the division, Rogan believes Abbott would have chances for success. But practically, considering the former UFC fighter’s age, that may not be possible. Interestingly, apart from Abbott, Rogan also has another fighter who would do well in the current heavyweight division.

Joe Rogan makes a big statement on Gable Steveson

While the UFC heavyweight division is getting scrutinized for being lackluster, Joe Rogan has an eye out for a 25-year-old Olympic gold medalist in the name of Gable Steveson. Steveson is just two fights into his professional MMA career. But has impressed Rogan with his performance.

Top Stories

Dana White Gets Two Unexpected Saviors for UFC Mexico After Main Event Cancellation

Jon Jones’ “Severe” Medical Update Ends Daniel Cormier RAF Match, Puts UFC White House Plans in Jeopardy

Ian Garry’s Wife, Layla, Issues Public Statement About Carlos Prates’ Response to Inappropriate Question

Nick Diaz Reveals How He Was Forced Into Rehab in Mexico After UFC Comeback

UFC Mexico Main Event Saved as Top Prospect Steps In to Face Brandon Moreno on Short Notice

“The heavyweight division is so shallow right now,” said Rogan during #172 of JRE MMA Show. “You got Tom Aspinall, Ciryl Gane, Jon Jones if he chooses to fight again, Francis [Ngannou] by some miracle if they can work something out and bring him back to the UFC. Other than that, there’s no one compelling, like a championship-caliber fighter.”

He further assessed the quantity of quality heavyweight fighters present: “There’s basically four or five guys on earth that are in this championship-caliber class. You are already there, which is nuts. You’ve never even fought in the UFC yet.”

While Rogan already considers Steveson as a championship-level fighter, he has yet to be part of a leading MMA organization like UFC. And in that regard, even CEO Dana White has remained tight-lipped about Steveson’s potential inclusion on the roster. On that note, let us know your thoughts about the 25-year-old prospect in the comments below!