Ahead of UFC 329, Conor McGregor has undergone surgery and has been sharing positive updates about his recovery while aiming for another return. However, Joe Rogan believes that fighters like him can never truly get their prime back.

During The Joe Rogan Experience #2544, Chris Williamson and the UFC color commentator shed some light on McGregor’s situation by using Mike Tyson as an example. 

“You can only maintain that level of RPMs for so long before you just go crazy. Because it’s too hard,” Rogan said. “It’s everything about you. It’s not a sustainable thing. The peak performance of the elite athlete, Mike Tyson when he was 20 years old, Roy Jones Jr. in his prime- you can’t keep that up. It’s too hard. You keep it up for a little while, but eventually your body’s going to fall apart. Your knees are going to give out. You’re going to have back problems. You’re going to break your hands. Something’s going to go, and then you’re going to be compromised. “

McGregor again suffered a major setback after tearing his ACL and meniscus during his fight against Max Holloway, which ended in just 69 seconds last month. McGregor h

“And a lot of these guys, they look the same. They get out there, and they’re ripped. They’ve got six-packs. They’re bouncing around, but they know there’s something wrong. They know their elbow sucks. They know their neck is f—d up. They know they probably need a back operation.” 

Joe Rogan’s statements mirror what happened to Conor McGregor before the UFC 329 injury mishap. The Irishman looked impeccable during his fight week photo ops. He appeared ripped, sharp, and completely locked in. But ultimately, McGregor’s knee gave out after the first switch kick he attempted to land on Max Holloway, as it couldn’t sustain the impact.

Sure, ‘The Notorious’ prior injuries could have contributed to his latest setback. However, what Rogan pointed out is that a fighter like McGregor cannot possibly perform the same way he did against Eddie Alvarez a decade ago because his body has aged and become comparatively more fragile.

The 59-year-old also used Mike Tyson as an example, knowing that the former heavyweight champion endured severe back pain and knee injuries during the later stages of his career. 

Tyson famously stated, “My back is broken,” after knocking out Clifford Etienne in the first round in 2003, which ultimately became the last victory of his professional career. Following that, ‘Iron’ also suffered a lateral meniscus tear during the first round of his fight against Danny Williams in 2004.

Tyson retired the following year after losing to Kevin McBride in 2005. He eventually returned to the ring almost a decade later and suffered another defeat against Jake Paul in 2024.

Rogan isn’t the only one to convey that fighters lose their prime years as they age. In fact, Roy Jones Jr., whom Rogan also used as an example while discussing Conor McGregor’s case, shares a similar view.

“You get to a point where your body starts to fail you, and you’re having a hard time,” Roy Jones Jr. told the UFC in 2018. 

Now, while Joe Rogan admitted that a fighter’s performance slowly deteriorates with age and the wars they endure either inside a ring or the Octagon, the 59-year-old also talked about a fighter who sort of established himself as an exception.

Joe Rogan explains why Jon Jones staying elite at 37 is remarkable

If Joe Rogan was concerned about fighters like Conor McGregor losing their prime after years of battling inside the Octagon, he was equally impressed by how Jon Jones managed to stay at the top for such a long time.

“Just like Jon Jones is the greatest example,” Rogan added on his latest podcast. “His run is so long. It’s crazy to be relevant at his age after being the youngest UFC champion ever at 22 years old, to still be considered the greatest heavyweight alive. And he’s still considered the greatest heavyweight alive currently at 37. Even though he relinquished his belt, he’s like, ‘Eh, you can keep it. I might do whatever I want to do.’”

When it comes to longevity, Jon Jones remains one of the prime examples in the sport. ‘Bones’ started competing in Dana White’s promotion when he was only 21.

By the time he turned 23, the Rochester native had defeated Shogun Rua to become the youngest champion in UFC history. After defending the belt eight times at 205 pounds, Jones finally moved up at the age of 35 and swiftly beat Ciryl Gane in the first round at UFC 285 to become the heavyweight champion.

Even after such an extensive run, it seldom felt like Jon Jones had lost his touch. Sure, he had some highly competitive fights against Alexander Gustafsson and Dominick Reyes, but those were mostly technically difficult matchups for him.

He also defended the 265-pound title against Stipe Miocic, who was clearly looking past his prime at UFC 309. But besides that, Jones had an impeccable run, if you set aside all the controversies.

Yet, the 39-year-old recently revealed that he is suffering from severe arthritis, which could explain his decision to retire. It once again proves that no one is truly immune to age and the cumulative damage sustained from years of cage fighting.