Dillon Danis’ hopes of ever entering the UFC are over. The 32-year-old was on the receiving end of several punches at UFC 322 after repeatedly provoking members of Islam Makhachev’s team. Security eventually removed him from the arena, and in the aftermath, UFC CEO Dana White issued a full ban on ‘El Jefe’. The chaotic scene made headlines—but it has now prompted Joe Rogan to float an unexpected idea for peace between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam’s mentor.

The feud between McGregor and Nurmagomedov is nearly as iconic as the UFC itself. Ever since the Dagestani star slapped McGregor’s teammate, tensions spiraled into an all-out rivalry that culminated in their highly publicized 2018 title fight. Nurmagomedov won the bout and even leaped out of the cage to strike at Dillon Danis, further escalating the bad blood. While that animosity still lingers—partly contributing to Danis’ latest altercation—Rogan now believes McGregor must take a specific step if the violence is ever going to stop.

Joe Rogan has a valid point, but it won’t work

Speaking to Brian Simpson on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience #2414, the pair discussed the lifestyle that Dagestani fighters lead, which Rogan described as, “Most people don’t want to live that life.” This led Simpson to point out how they never let go of feeling disrespected. Rogan quickly agreed, stating, “No, they just f—ked Dillon Danis up this past weekend. Did you see that?” Simpson, having heard about the incident, added, “Dagestanis, they’re not talking s—t for promotional purposes. You gotta be real careful.”

This prompted Simpson to ask the UFC colour commentator whether Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov could ever make up. “It would have to be in private, and he would have to really mean it, man,” Rogan replied. “He would have to really mean it, and you’d have to convince Khabib that you really meant it… because he just doesn’t play that game, that talking s—t to sell a fight game. He doesn’t play that game.” Simpson then recalled comments from Daniel Cormier, who is a close friend of Khabib.

“I saw a clip of DC saying he had Conor on his show one time, and Khabib was like, ‘No, what’s that about? That’s my enemy,’” Simpson recalled during the podcast. “And DC was like, ‘Oh, yeah, I didn’t look at it that way, but I had to check myself, like.”

Despite Joe Rogan’s idea for ending the long-standing war between the two UFC legends, it’s unlikely the feud will ever die down. Conor continues to take shots at Khabib—and Khabib often responds in kind. Beyond that, their polar opposite personalities make any reconciliation nearly impossible. In fact, Khabib looks back at his win over McGregor as a vacation he enjoyed. 

Khabib Nurmagomedov reflects on beating Conor McGregor

Khabib Nurmagomedov opened up about the night he dismantled Conor McGregor at UFC 229, calling the experience something he enjoyed after a heated buildup. Speaking to fans in Chicago, ‘The Eagle’ revisited the rivalry that saw McGregor target his family and religion, only for Nurmagomedov to dominate the Irish star en route to a submission win.

Khabib explained why he stayed composed throughout the trash talk, saying it’s better not to let negativity affect you. But he admitted his profession offered him a rare outlet. “One thing that’s very beautiful in this world, when you don’t like somebody, you go inside the cage, you smash him, and they give you money,” he said. “Outside of the cage, if you do this, you go jail.”

For Khabib, the long-awaited moment felt like a getaway. “I used this moment to enjoy—like the way how you go to Maldives? Same thing. It was my vacation.”

Trash-talking is an effective way of promoting a fight, but fighters should know when and against whom to use it. McGregor may have made a lot of money from the fight, but was it worth the lifelong humiliation? And even then, did he make more money? Or the UFC?