'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Joe Rogan Experience is considered one of the best podcasts in the world. Hosted by UFC color commentator and MMA expert Joe Rogan, the podcast features some of the biggest personalities from across the globe with expertise in various fields.
However, being a personality with deep roots in the MMA community, some of the most special Joe Rogan Experience podcasts have been ones featuring UFC fighters.
Joe Rogan has had several UFC fighters on his podcast over the years. Be it former champions or up-and-coming MMA sensations, they have all ended up in the snazzy studio setting of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. These episodes have given fight fans a closer look into the lives of UFC athletes.
In this article, we look at five of the best episodes of the Joe Rogan Experience featuring UFC fighters.
#5. Stephen Thompson on the Joe Rogan Experience
Stephen Thompson is one of the nicest MMA fighters ever, not just in the UFC, but in all of combat sport history. It is not a surprise, therefore, that the number four-ranked UFC welterweight owns the Nicest Motherf***er (NMF) title. Thompson appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience in April 2021, giving his fans a closer look into the workings of his mind.
'Wonderboy' spilled quite a lot of beans about several things in his career and life. He revealed how he and Jorge Masvidal planned their fight at a UFC event. Thompson spoke about his early kickboxing career, where he used to go to the weigh-ins with metal rings and keys in his pocket in order to weigh heavier.
Stephen Thompson confessed to almost throwing up inside the octagon at one point in his career, and why it was a relief for him to get knocked out by Anthony Pettis at UFC Fight Night 148. Most importantly, Thompson told Joe Rogan about how he grew up to be the nice guy fans know him to be.
This was episode #108 of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
#4. Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal came on the 63rd episode of the Joe Rogan Experience MMA podcast, a few months ahead of his fight against Ben Askren. Masvidal discussed a list of things with Rogan, including his rivalry with Askren and how he once snowboarded down a mountain while on recreational drugs.
'Gamebred' also gave his fans a better insight into the backstage brawl he got into with Leon Edwards after UFC Fight Night 147. A funny anecdote he revealed from the incident was how he pretended to not know English when confronted by the police.
The episode with Jorge Masvidal on the Joe Rogan Experience is a treat for fight fans as they also learn about the early fighting days of the Miami native.
#3. Israel Adesanya
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya came on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast in 2019. 'The Last Stylebender' spoke at length about some of the most important fights of his career and the process of becoming the UFC champion.
Some of the more interesting things he talked about on the podcast included his rivalry with Jon Jones and how he considered his interim title win a bigger achievement than winning the undisputed title.
Speaking about why his win against Kelvin Gastelum meant so much more than his win against Robert Whittaker, Adesanya told Joe Rogan:
"Atlanta was the one where they put my hand up and I was like 'Yes!' Because of the way the fight (against Kelvin Gastelum) went and the back and forth. That fifth round, I found out who I was.. I found out the depths I'm willing to go."
The MMA community has always found the idea of a match-up between Jon Jones and Israel Adesanya an interesting one, especially with the two publicly insulting each other. Explaining why the former UFC light heavyweight champion started talking trash about him, 'Izzy' said:
"I'm the guy that he (Jon Jones) wishes he was. He's a fan. Trust me, he's a fan. He's my biggest fan.. And he sees me like a new freshman, getting all the shine, getting all the hype."
Watch the full episode of the Joe Rogan Experience ft. Israel Adesanya below:
#2. Francis Ngannou
Francis Ngannou was perhaps one of the most prized guests to come on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. The UFC heavyweight champion had a story to tell that, while awe-inspiring for MMA fans, was also intriguing for Rogan on a personal level.
Francis Ngannou broke down his whole life journey on the Joe Rogan Experience, and there were moments that even left the host speechless. Ngannou gave Joe Rogan details of how he worked in sand mines back in Batie, Cameroon, at the age of 10. The story involved crossing continents illegally, getting detained for it, fighting off rats for food and sleeping in a garage in Paris.
'The Predator' also gave insights into his first fight with former UFC champion Stipe Miocic and how it was a big learning experience for him to lose. Ngannou revealed that while he did get convinced to try MMA, he didn't know all the rules even during his first UFC fight. He said:
"I'm like, 'Okay, so what is this about? MMA? How MMA works, what are the rules?' And I couldn't get it, I didn't know the rules. Even though I was just doing it for two years, and remember, at first it was just for fun. I wasn't there to become a professional fighter, you know. All I cared about at that time was boxing. It was very stressful. And I'm like, 'Guess what, at the end of the day, it's just fighting. I don't know if these guys are doing some kung-fu sh*t, but it's just fighting. We're going to figure it out.'"
#1. Georges St-Pierre
Georges St-Pierre is widely considered one of the best MMA fighters of all time. Naturally, it has to be special if he sits and speaks his mind for over an hour on the Joe Rogan Experience. 'Rush' has made two appearances on the JRE MMA podcast, but in this particular article, let's talk about the episode that came in 2021.
Here's a highlight from St-Pierre's Joe Rogan Experience appearance from 2018:
In his latest appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, 'GSP' discussed Khabib Nurmagomedov, whether he wants to make a comeback, the advice he gives to young fighters and aliens.
Georges St-Pierre said he believed Khabib to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. He also said that if he would have made his comeback, it would have been against 'The Eagle'. According to St-Pierre, he could sign a UFC contract if he is offered one while he is training at the gym. However, once his testosterone levels become relaxed, he feels retirement was the right decision to make.
The most interesting part of GSP's appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience was him wanting to tell some young fighters to give up fighting, and others, to relax. How ironic would it be to hear the MMA G.O.A.T tell you "find a real job" because he has "seen this movie and it's not a good ending, my friend."
