UFC commentator Joe Rogan got a closer look at UFC 279 than most of us. The millionaire host of The Joe Rogan Experience shed light on some behind-the-scenes conversations during a recent episode of the JRE MMA show.

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UFC 279 saw Nate Diaz fight Tony Ferguson in the former’s last fight in the UFC. The card had to be restructured after Khamzat Chimaev missed weight and lost the opportunity to face Diaz. Rogan discussed these events with UFC middleweight Joaquin Buckley on a recent episode of the JRE.

Buckley raised suspicions about UFC 279 to Joe Rogan

During their conversation, Joe Rogan introduced the subject of weight cutting and brought up Chimaev. Rogan was speaking about Chimaev missing weight by eight pounds for UFC 279. As a result, the card had to undergo some significant rearrangement.

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Joe Rogan

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“It really didn’t make no sense though. Because why are they fighting at 180? And why did they just put it on the card at the last minute?… Why even put Kevin Holland vs… D-Rod… on the card and why is it catchweight? Kevin Holland can make the weight.”

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“D-Rod has always fought at 170, so why is he suddenly making up his mind that ‘oh I want to fight at 180?… Also, Tony Ferguson vs Jingliang, when they made that fight, that fight made no sense to me,” the middleweight added.

Buckley also expressed doubts about why the doctors asked Chimaev to stop cutting weight when ‘Borz’ was confident he could make weight. However, Rogan said the Ferguson vs. Jingliang match-up made sense to him.

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He explained that ‘El Cucuy‘ was coming off a knockout loss to Michael Chandler. The weight cut would have been an added struggle at his age. The 55-year-old also mentioned how D-Rod looked too heavy for a weight cut to 170 lbs and hence opted for a catchweight bout. Rogan also had some info on the chaos that went on behind the curtains at UFC 279.

Rogan’s version of what happened behind the scenes

Unlike Buckley, Joe Rogan was not too surprised about the events at UFC 279. He maintained that sometimes things like that happened. Talking about how the restructuring of the UFC 279 card, Rogan said, “It’s got all the pieces of a conspiracy but there’s logic behind it.”

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Talking about the fiasco at UFC 279, Buckley said it all worked out too well. ‘New Mansa’ also raised questions regarding the catchweight bout between Kevin Holland and Daniel Rodriguez.

Joe Rogan

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“I talked to Dana when this sh*t went down. He was like ‘this is a f***ing mess. I don’t know what we’re going to do.’ So they were in chaos and then they masterminded. They got together, they brainstormed… and it turned out as a better card… Ferguson vs Diaz, a competitive match-up that made sense. Khamzat vs. Kevin Holland, that makes sense.”

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Rogan and Buckley both agreed that Li Jingliang got the short end of the stick during the whole affair. Not only did he lose a high-profile fight against Tony Ferguson, but he also had to fight an opponent who weighed ten pounds heavier and lost a close decision.

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What are your thoughts on Buckley’s comments? Do you think Rogan’s explanations made sense? Let us know in the comments below.

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Yeswanth Praveen

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As Senior Editor of EssentiallySports’ UFC division, Yeswanth Praveen brings firsthand experience to our combat vertical. A competitive boxer since his college days, he still trains four times a week, keeping his connection to the sport sharp. An English major with a strong command of language, Yeswanth combines technical insight with compelling storytelling, decoding complex fight sequences while capturing the heart of a fighter’s journey. Since joining EssentiallySports in 2021, he has played a pivotal role in shaping our combat coverage strategies. His work has earned recognition from UFC veterans like Bruce Buffer and former heavyweight Brendan Schaub. His UFC takes on Twitter keep him actively engaged with fight fans. Whether breaking down a high-stakes title fight or profiling a rising prospect, Yeswanth delivers authenticity and depth.

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Rohini Kottu