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Longtime UFC color commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan weighed in on a recent fight controversy that unfolded last weekend.
On Saturday, October 9, 2021, WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury met Deontay Wilder for the third time inside the boxing ring, battling for 11 rounds before the “Gypsy King” knocked out his rival. It was a back-and-forth war for the first part of the fight, with each boxer knocking down their opponent multiple times.
The controversy in question happened during the fourth frame when Fury was knocked down for the second time in the round by Wilder’s ferocious power. Referee Russell Mora gave Fury a slower count than normal, delaying it halfway through when he stopped to tell Wilder to stay in the corner.
The delay in counting allowed Fury more time to recover and Rogan gave his thoughts on it during a recent episode of the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, featuring comedian Tony Hinchcliffe and podcast producer Brian Redban.
“This is what happened. The referee is supposed to go ‘One two…’ when the guy goes down, but if for any reason he has to interrupt the count… you’re supposed to pick up the count where the ringside counter has it,” Rogan said via MiddleEasy.com. “So there’s a guy who’s counting ringside, and he’ll keep the count going,” Rogan.
“So if you’re at ‘One, two,’ and then you’re like ‘Go to a neutral corner,’ that guy is supposed to be like ‘three, four five,’ but he didn’t. He went back to it, ‘three, four,’ but the guy had already been down for a couple seconds. Without a doubt it was a long count… I think it’s an error, or corruption. Most likely an error, most likely the guy’s panicking.”
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Rogan Praised Fury as a ‘Masterful Boxer,’ Called the Bout One of the Best Heavyweight Fights Ever
GettyDeontay Wilder (L) and WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury fight for the WBC/Lineal heavyweight title at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 9, 2021.
Rogan gave Fury vs. Wilder 3 a glowing reveal, touting it as one of the best heavyweight contests of all time, while showing his respect for both combatants.
“It was one of the greatest heavyweight fights of all time,” Fury said via MiddleEasy.com. “One of the greatest boxing matches of all time… It was so crazy, it was so action-filled. I mean, it was f****** amazing. From Tyson Fury knocking Wilder down early, to Wilder looking like he was done…” Rogan said.
“There’s maybe one or two other humans that have ever lived that can punch as hard as (Wilder). He’s without a doubt one of the hardest punchers of all time… He’s a murderous puncher, but the level of skill was so evident.
“The difference is Tyson Fury is a masterful boxer, he’s masterful. The s*** that he did was amazing, and his strategy was amazing,” Rogan added. “Just stay glued to Deontay, wear on him, hang on him, make him work, and just drag him deeper and deeper into these f****** horrible waters filled with crocodiles. That’s what he did, and almost got knocked out doing it. That’s how dangerous Wilder is.”
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MMA Referee Pioneer John McCarthy Said the Referee Was Correct to Stop the Count
MMA referee pioneer “Big” John McCarthy also shared his thoughts on the count. And he supported Mora for stopping the count to ensure Wilder was told to go back to his corner.
Responding to ex-two division UFC champion Daniel Cormier who said the count was “crazy slow,” McCarthy tweeted on October 13, 2021: “I love ya DC, but you have to know the rules before saying the ref was wrong, Unified Rules of Boxing state ‘Keep an eye on the standing boxer and make sure he stays in neutral corner. If boxer comes out, STOP THE COUNT, put boxer back into neutral corner and then resume counting.'”
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Joe Rogan on Recent Fight Controversy: ‘An Error or Corruption’