UFC veteran defends Jake Paul, Khamzat Chimaev fires shots at division's top contenders, Joe Rogan talks Kanye West's streaming ban: MMA News Roundup

This edition of the MMA News Roundup focuses on the UFC. A former star from the promotion came to the defense of influencer boxer Jake Paul, while Khamzat Chimaev took aim at his fellow middleweights as he prepares to dethrone Dricus du Plessis.

Elsewhere, veteran MMA commentator Joe Rogan shared his thoughts on rapper Kanye West's streaming ban.

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Jake Paul finds an unlikely ally in a former UFC star

Few figures are as polarizing in combat sports as Jake Paul has been. Many have dismissed him as a pretender cosplaying as a fighter. However, ex-UFC fighter Darren Till recently called on fans and fighters alike to drop that narrative about 'The Problem Child,' saying the following to MMA Fighting:

"For starters, let's all just stop being dummies for a second and take out the narrative that Jake Paul's not a fighter or a boxer. He's been boxing for years now. He's been boxing years with a fully equipped team around him 24/7. Jake Paul is a fighter. He's a boxer. He's a fighter."

Check out Darren Till defending Jake Paul:

Ironically, Till has stepped into Paul's world of influencer boxing since leaving the UFC after a 1-5 rough patch. He is currently set to face fellow MMA fighter Darren Stewart at MF & DAZN: X Series 21 on Saturday.

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Khamzat Chimaev trashes fellow middleweights

Khamzat Chimaev is set to challenge Dricus du Plessis for the middleweight title at UFC 319, and his confidence is sky high, preemptively proclaiming himself champion in a since-deleted tweet.

"Kaio [Caio Borralho], [Nassourdine] Imavov, [Dricus] Diplisi [du Plessis]. There is only one champion, and they all know it."

The tweet also saw him taunt top middleweights Caio Borralho, a former training partner of his, and Nassourdine Imavov, the UFC 319 backup fighter, both of whom he is likely to face at some point.

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Joe Rogan addresses Kanye West's song

Longtime MMA commentator Joe Rogan spoke about the recent ban that Kanye West's song, 'Heil H*tler,' has faced on streaming platforms. On episode #2320 of his podcast, Rogan said:

"There's a benefit to just letting people talk. Let people say whatever the f*ck they wanna say, even if it sucks. This is the benefit of Twitter, but this is also the bad part. It's like the f*cking song has so many millions of hits on Twitter. It's been banned from every platform. But is it good to band things from platforms, or is it better to let it be out here and let people talk about it?"

Check out Joe Rogan's thoughts on Kanye West's song (1:28:17):

West is a past guest of Rogan's podcast, but has since courted tremendous controversy, largely for his antisemitism.