"We’re fighting, shut the f**k up” - Demetrious Johnson goes off on fighters being penalized for ‘stalling’, agrees with Joe Rogan’s take on stand-ups

Demetrious Johnson and Joe Rogan appear to be on the same team regarding a specific aspect of the MMA ruleset. Rogan has long been an advocate for allowing fighters to work through positions during grappling sequences.

Due to the nature of grappling, a fight that hits the floor can at times feel like a lull in the action. Fans can be heard at UFC events expressing their frustration with fighters who continually take their opponents down and use dominant positions to win fights.

The UFC commentator has suggested that if fighters finish a round in a specific grappling position, then they should begin the following round in that same position. The current ruleset in MMA states that fighters will begin each round of the fight on their feet, which Rogan believes gives an unfair advantage to strikers, with wrestlers primarily hoping to take the fight to the ground and keep it there.

'Mighty Mouse' further added that fighters should not be penalized for "stalling" or slowing the action down in fights, unless it is absolutely necessary. Johnson's comments came during a recent appearance on Tim Welch's RedHawk Recap podcast. He said:

"If I have your back with a body-triangle on, I'm winning... The guy on bottom has to get up, he has to do something. If the crowd is booing and the [referee] hears it and the ref is like, 'Come on, work!' It's like, 'Shut the f**k up!' You're job here is to make sure I don't f**king die and no fouls are committed. That's it. Not to keep the action going. We're fighting, shut the f**k up." [24:08-24:32]

Welch mentioned Rogan's belief that fighters should start a round of a fight in the same position they ended the previous round, which drew the following response from Johnson:

"I like that. There shouldn't be [stand-ups]." [25:04-25:10]

Check out Demetrious Johnson's comments below (24:08):

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Demetrious Johnson explains why he retired from MMA

Demetrious Johnson is one of the greatest MMA fighters in history. He holds numerous UFC records and is regarded as arguably the most well-rounded fighter ever.

In September 2024, 'Mighty Mouse' made the decision to retire from MMA for good. During an interview with supplement company 1st Phorm, he detailed his decision to lay down the gloves for good. He said:

"The thing that I fell out of love with with fighting was the politics. I fell out of love with just preparing, the press conferences, I didn't care about that. I didn't care about being the best in the world anymore. I just didn't care."

Check out Demetrious Johnson's comments below (via @home_of_fight):