All eyes were on Israel Adesanya’s much-anticipated return at UFC 305, but when the outcome didn’t go as expected, Joe Rogan couldn’t conceal his disappointment.
Adesanya cut short his break from the sport to face off against middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. Despite looking sharp throughout the fight, ‘The Last Stylebender’ missed crucial opportunities and ultimately suffered the first submission loss of his career.
Instead of traveling with the UFC to commentate, Joe Rogan hosted a Fight Companion alongside Brendan Schaub, Tony Hinchcliffe, and Brian Simpson.
Rogan, known for his strong relationship with Israel Adesanya, faced criticism for the watch-along’s seemingly biased reaction to the fight.
The group spent most of the fight praising Adesanya, lauding the former champion at every opportunity.
“Oh, Izzy just hit a beautiful combination. He stunned him,” Rogan said while watching the main event of UFC 305. “Dricus is in real trouble.”
“This is the Stylebender of old, kids… It’s also a guy [Du Plessis] that’s compromised. You’ve been beating him up and chipping away at him. And now you’re fresher and he’s dying. He’s taking big, lunging shots at you…”
“Oh! Izzy caught him with that right hand. Oh, boy. Izzy’s just f***ing up his body, too… He’s got the timing down.”
Israel Adesanya vs Dricus Du Plessis (Photo: Getty Images)
However, as the fight shifted in favor of Dricus Du Plessis and he hurt Adesanya, Joe Rogan’s demeanor changed noticeably.
“Dude, dude, dude. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. He hurt him, dude. He hurt him.”
When Du Plessis secured the choke, Rogan slumped back with his hand on his head, visibly upset with the outcome.
Rogan later acknowledged the champion’s performance, giving Du Plessis credit for emerging victorious in a challenging fight.
“Dricus is a f***ing animal, dude. He’s a f***ing animal. Holy sh*t. I was saying that these punches, even though he’s exhausted, you can’t be in those exchanges [with him].”
“You’re going to get clipped. If you get clipped, you’re in real trouble. F***, he got hit with those big right hands, man. He got rocked with those right hands.”
A controversial comment from guest Brian Simpson sparked online debate. The comedian compared Adesanya’s loss to America losing a war.
“God, this makes me feel like America lost a war or something. I just f***ing hate how this feels.”
