Joe Rogan has been a man of many trades. The 55-year-old started as a stand-up comedian and has now ventured into television presentation, UFC commentary, podcasts, and even owns a comedy club. With all these different things that people know Joe Rogan for, few people know that Rogan himself is a big martial arts enthusiast and knows the nuances of the game. The knowledge of the game must be what made Joe Rogan criticize the stand-up calls referees have been taking in MMA fights.

The most recent incident comes from UFC 285 where the referee’s decision to stand the fighters up may have cost Valentina Shevchenko her entire legacy. Joe Rogan mentioned how it was firstly a difficult job to put your opponent on the ground. He pointed out how it could be a major disadvantage for a fighter if his/her opponent was allowed to stand up by the referee.

Joe Rogan strongly opposes the referee’s interference

As a martial artist, Rogan understands how difficult and advantageous it is to put one’s opponent on the mat and take control. Rogan felt referees should not interfere when a fight is going on. He said, “if someone has a big burst and shoots for the takedown, massive struggle, gets it to the ground, and then is trying to intelligently move to a place where they can do damage, but the other person is defending and then the referee interferes and stands him up am like Jesus f**king christ do you know how hard it is to get someone to the ground?”

Read More: After Conor McGregor’s Controversial Outburst on Popular MMA Coaches, Joe Rogan Reveals Particular Coach He Was “Very Impressed” With

Rogan was talking to Cory Sandhagen in episode 138 of his JRE MMA show. Sandhagen fights in the UFC bantamweight division. Sandhagen was last seen fighting against Marlon Vera in March earlier this year.

Did Valentina Shevchenko suffer due to the referee’s interference?

At UFC 285, Mexican wonder Alexa Grasso did the unthinkable when she won against Valentina Shevchenko. The flyweight fighter has 23 wins under her name against just 4 defeats that she has faced. Shevchenko was in a commanding position for a long time in the fight that Grasso finally won. The second and third rounds saw Shevchenko taking Grasso to the ground and controlling the fight. In the third round, Shevchenko was in a similar position. The referee then asked both fighters to stand up. The move meant Shevchenko had to lose all the advantages she had earned with a lot of effort. Alexa Grasso submitted Shevchenko in the 4th round.

.Joe Rogan understands how difficult it is to get someone down. His take on Referees interfering will find many takers. Fans will hope the authorities let fighters decide the result between themselves instead of giving decisions that hand the advantage to either of the fighters. What’s your take? Let us know.

Watch This Story: MMA Pros React to Alexa Grasso Becoming Third Mexican UFC Champ after Upsetting Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 285