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Imago

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What’s more iconic for a UFC fighter outside of getting a crucial win at a marquee event? Well, that answer could vary depending on the fighters, but most would say that it’s sharing the stage with the sport’s beloved commentator Joe Rogan. The 58-year-old has generated some highlight-reel moments in the UFC with his post-fight interviews. So, fighters don’t want to miss the opportunity to get that moment. However, at UFC 327, two winners didn’t get to live it.

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Even though Dominick Reyes and Aaron Pico secured important victories at the UFC’s marquee event on April 11, the promotion didn’t provide them a post-fight interview. Naturally, neither was happy about being snubbed of the chance to share their thoughts with the Miami audience while Rogan held the mic. Now, they have finally broken the silence. 

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According to MMA journalist Kevin K, the former Bellator fighter wasn’t pleased about missing out on the post-fight interview. After suffering a devastating knockout loss at UFC 319 last year, the featherweight prospect displayed an impressive comeback performance against fellow former Bellator fighter Patricio ‘Pitbull’ at UFC 327 prelims, earning a strong unanimous decision victory. Yet, the promotion denied him the post-fight interview, which Pico clearly didn’t like, as he told Megan Olivi.

“Aaron Pico says he is bummed he didn’t get an interview with Joe Rogan after his #UFC327 win and says he always dreamed of that,” Kevin K posted on X.

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Following Pico’s snub, the UFC also took away the opportunity from former 205 lbs title challenger Dominick Reyes. ‘The Devastator’ won a very lackluster showdown against Johnny Walker via split decision on the main card of UFC 327, which fans booed. Despite the unimpressive win, fans were surprised when Reyes wasn’t interviewed, as many had expected him to get a chance to share his thoughts.

After being snubbed, the 36-year-old, who made an emotional comeback at UFC 327 after losing against Carlos Ulberg at UFC Perth last year, believed he was robbed of that opportunity and decided to take to social media to convey his post-fight thoughts instead.

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“Since I got robbed of my post-fight speech, here is my official speech,” Reyes wrote on Instagram. “First and foremost, I would like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I would like to thank Johnny Walker for the technical banter. Thank you to my team, and thank you to the UFC for such an amazing fight week. Dana White, Hunter Campbell, Mick Maynard. To the fans in Miami, I know you wanted blood, but sometimes that’s not how it goes. I love you, son. Daddy is coming home.”

Well, there could be several reasons why Rogan might not interview certain fighters at an event. But most of the time, the UFC may decide to limit interviews due to time constraints during the broadcast. If the promotion feels the event is running longer than expected and affecting its allotted broadcast window, it may choose to cut some interviews. Still, it’s not the first time Joe Rogan hasn’t interviewed a winner. At UFC 316, Mario Bautista also complained after not getting a post-fight interview following his win over Patchy Mix.

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That said, it’s not clear whether UFC 327 faced similar issues, but the fact remains that two notable fighters didn’t get their post-fight moments. Moreover, Rogan also had to break his usual interview pattern once again in Miami. 

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Joe Rogan interviewed the UFC 327 main event fighter who was knocked out  

For those who don’t know, Joe Rogan has openly said he doesn’t like interviewing fighters who suffer devastating knockouts. He made that clear in a 2016 X post after Stipe Miocic knocked out Alistair Overeem at UFC 203. Even so, the UFC color commentator still interviews fighters who get flattened at marquee events. But after a decade in that post, things haven’t changed much.

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At UFC 327’s main event, fan-favorite former champ Jiri Prochazka faced Carlos Ulberg for the vacant 205 lbs title. During the first-round exchanges, the Kiwi appeared to injure his knee but still managed to land a crushing check left hook that knocked out Prochazka. It was definitely one of the toughest defeats of the Czech fighter’s career and could take time to recover from. 

While the sequence unfolded, Rogan watched it all from the commentary booth. Yet, he once again broke his usual stance and interviewed ‘BJP’ after the devastating loss, where the former champion expressed sympathy for his opponent. 

“I was… I felt like mercy, you know,” Prochazka said during the post-fight interview with Rogan. “In that fight I felt so sorry for him. So man, this is one of the biggest lessons in my life. I still can’t understand how that fight was won. I had almost won that fight. It was in my hand, I just left him because I saw his injury. I will be back. Thank you to everyone. 

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While the UFC’s decisions were likely driven by broadcast constraints, the snubs left two victorious fighters feeling unheard and highlighted the ongoing debate around Rogan’s inconsistent interview choices.

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Biplob Chakraborty

1,418 Articles

Biplob Chakraborty is a passionate UFC and MMA writer at EssentiallySports, where he delivers clear and engaging fight analysis, event previews, and post-fight breakdowns. With over two years of experience writing about mixed martial arts, Biplob combines his love for the sport with his background as a boxing practitioner to bring fans closer to the action inside the cage. His work focuses on not just the storylines but the techniques and moments that truly define each fight. Before joining EssentiallySports, Biplob built a solid foundation in combat sports journalism by running his own MMA news site and contributing to other respected outlets. He’s known for creating audience-friendly content that reaches fight fans worldwide, keeping them up to date on the latest UFC news and trends. Biplob’s passion for MMA grew from watching unforgettable battles like the iconic Robbie Lawler versus Rory MacDonald fight, and that same passion shines through every article he writes.

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Aatreyi Sarkar

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