Joe Rogan Faces Backlash for ‘Bias’ Towards Israel Adesanya During UFC 305 Fight vs Dricus Du Plessis: ‘So B*tthurt’

Joe Rogan’s reaction to Adesanya’s loss at UFC 305 sparked criticism for favoritism. Discover what fans had to say about the watch-along stream.

By Mrinal Mishra

Published on Aug 20, 2024 | 12:28 AM IST | 67.7K

Image Source: GETTY

Joe Rogan’s reaction to Israel Adesanya’s loss at UFC 305 has people talking. Was his commentary too biased? Did his friendship with Adesanya cloud his judgment? These questions linger as fans dissect every moment of the fight companion stream. Instead of traveling with the UFC, Rogan hosted a watch-along with Brendan Schaub, Tony Hinchcliffe, and Brian Simpson.

The group’s focus was clear: support Adesanya. But as the fight unfolded, things didn’t go as planned. Rogan’s visible disappointment became the talk of the night. How did this affect his credibility?

During UFC 305, Joe Rogan decided to skip his usual role as a commentator and instead hosted a Fight Companion watch-along with Brendan Schaub, Tony Hinchcliffe, and Brian Simpson. Rogan couldn’t contain his excitement as the fight began when Adesanya started landing his shots. "Oh, Izzy just hit a beautiful combination. He stunned him," Rogan exclaimed, clearly impressed with Adesanya’s performance.

The commentary continued in this vein, with Rogan adding, "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..."

However, the tone shifted dramatically when Du Plessis started to gain momentum. Rogan’s initial confidence wavered as he watched Du Plessis land significant strikes on Adesanya. "Dude, dude, dude. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. He hurt him, dude. He hurt him," Rogan said, his voice filled with disbelief as the fight took a surprising turn.

Eventually, Du Plessis secured a submission victory, leaving Rogan visibly upset. Slumping back with his hand on his head, Rogan struggled to process the result. However, he did eventually give Du Plessis his due credit. "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]."

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Brian Simpson compared Adesanya’s loss to something far more significant, saying, "God, this makes me feel like America lost a war or something. I just f***ing hate how this feels." This comment didn’t sit well with many viewers, who felt it was an exaggerated comparison that downplayed Du Plessis' achievement.

Fans quickly took to social media to express their thoughts on the Fight Companion stream, with many criticizing the crew’s apparent bias. One fan pointed out the irony in Rogan’s earlier comments, saying, "Bro said DDP isn’t on Izzy’s level 5 seconds later he gets the finish."

Another fan added, "The Izzy glazing on this stream will go down in history," highlighting the perceived favoritism. This fan didn't hold back either, stating, "They were so b*tthurt when Izzy got finished."

Another fan also chimed in, commenting, "The bias towards Izzy is insane." Lastly, this fan summed up the sentiment with, "Rogan tears are delicious."

The backlash from fans was swift, with many feeling that the watch-along commentary lacked the impartiality expected from someone with Rogan's experience. Despite eventually giving Du Plessis his flowers, the initial reaction from Rogan and his crew left a lasting impression on viewers, sparking a debate about bias in sports commentary.

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