Israel Adesanya was defeated by Alex Pereira at UFC 281 following a controversial fifth-round stoppage.
Joe Rogan shared his thoughts on the controversial stoppage in the Alex Pereira vs Israel Adesanya fight at UFC 281.
Speaking on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan stated:
“I could see where [Adesanya] could be upset about it, too, and I could see where other fights have gone on longer. And they have, but it’s a subjective call and Marc Goddard is one of the very best in the world. He’s top two or three. He might be number two. I think Herb Dean’s number one and ‘Big’ John McCarthy doesn’t ref anymore, he was always in that same spot.”
Rogan continued to praise Goddard, adding:
“There’s a few guys that are the elite of the elite of referees and Marc Goddard is surely right there. Very few bad calls or even questionable calls. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him make a bad call.”
While Adesanya was not happy with the stoppage, he did share that his corner did not dispute Goddard’s decision. Adesanya will likely have an opportunity to avenge his loss in Pereira’s first title defense.
Watch Joe Rogan discuss Israel Adesanya’s controversial loss at UFC 281 below (starting at the 2:20 mark):
Joe Rogan shares thoughts on how Israel Adesanya has handled his UFC 281 loss
Despite losing his middleweight title at UFC 281, Israel Adesanya has not let it affect his mental state. UFC commentator Joe Rogan shared his thoughts on Adesanya’s reaction to the tough loss.
Speaking on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan stated:
“The way he responded to that loss is better than anybody ever. The dude shows up to the press conference with a f**king fur coat like a king, dope a** watch on, and just says ‘he got me’. I mean he basically said ‘the hunter is now the hunted, I’m coming after him, I’m going to find a way to beat that dude, I was on my way to beating him, and he got me’. And he was honest about all of it.”
While Israel Adesanya may have lost his middleweight title, he has remained in positive spirits. He will now work to recapture the middleweight belt by finally defeating Alex Pereira. Adesanya did share that he felt he could have survived the fifth-round if the fight hadn’t been called off.
Watch Joe Rogan discuss how Israel Adesanya has handled his loss below (starting at the 0:05 mark):
