The Joe Rogan ExperienceJRE MMA Show #86 with Josh Thomson
Joe Rogan and Josh Thomson on joe Rogan, Josh Thomson Defend Fighters, Slam Hot-Take MMA Commentary Culture.
In this episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, featuring Joe Rogan and Josh Thomson, JRE MMA Show #86 with Josh Thomson explores joe Rogan, Josh Thomson Defend Fighters, Slam Hot-Take MMA Commentary Culture Joe Rogan and Josh Thomson spend most of the conversation dissecting Stephen A. Smith’s criticism of Donald Cerrone and broader sports‑talk ‘hot take’ culture invading MMA coverage.
At a glance
WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Joe Rogan, Josh Thomson Defend Fighters, Slam Hot-Take MMA Commentary Culture
- Joe Rogan and Josh Thomson spend most of the conversation dissecting Stephen A. Smith’s criticism of Donald Cerrone and broader sports‑talk ‘hot take’ culture invading MMA coverage.
- They argue that fighting’s physical danger and emotional cost demand respect and informed analysis, contrasting real experts like Max Kellerman, Daniel Cormier, and Big John McCarthy with mainstream personalities learning the sport on air.
- From there, they branch into deep MMA talk: cross‑promotion possibilities, the quality of Bellator/ONE talent, Khabib vs. Ferguson and GSP, Conor’s future, rule sets, and the evolution of fighters’ careers and commentary roles.
- Throughout, Thomson draws on his Strikeforce/Bellator experience and current analyst role to advocate for fighter respect, smarter matchmaking, and better post‑career planning for athletes.
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
7 ideasMMA commentary must respect the unique risk and psychology of fighting.
Rogan and Thomson argue that calling Donald Cerrone a ‘quitter’ after a broken orbital shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what fighters endure; hot‑take sports radio rhetoric doesn’t translate ethically to a sport where people can be badly hurt or even killed.
Analysts should actually know the sport—or stay in their lane.
They distinguish between entertaining personalities and qualified analysts, saying networks should prioritize former fighters or deeply educated commentators (e.g., DC, Bisping, Big John) to properly contextualize performances and careers.
Cross‑promotion could create dream fights—but business incentives block it.
Thomson believes Bellator and ONE have champions (Lima, Patricio Pitbull, Mighty Mouse, MVP) who could beat UFC elites, and argues for annual cross‑promotional supercards, while Rogan counters that the UFC has little financial incentive to risk its brand in such events.
Fighting careers are short; fighters need a concrete, aggressive post‑career plan.
Thomson stresses that your “new life will cost you your old one”: you can’t half‑retire and still spend five hours a day in the gym; you must throw yourself into new ventures (podcasts, gyms, media, businesses) with the same intensity you used in fighting.
Trash talk can sell fights but should end once the bout is over.
They differentiate between promotional trash talk (Conor vs. Aldo) and post‑fight disrespect (e.g., refusing to shake hands); fans generally want resolution and mutual respect after the fight, not endless personal feuds or media pile‑ons.
Rule tweaks could make MMA more honest and dynamic.
Both suggest legalizing knees to the head of a grounded opponent (especially in open space) and question bans like 12–6 elbows and kicks to the kidneys, arguing that current rules create artificial ‘safe’ positions and awkward scrambles.
Weight-class structure and pay scales strongly shape careers and divisions.
They call for adding 165 and 175 lbs to fix the 15‑pound gap between 155 and 170 and note how pay, matchmaking leverage, and promotion control in MMA (vs. boxing) affect how fast prospects are thrown to ‘the wolves’ and how careers are managed.
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotes“You’re not talking about the same thing. You’re talking about fighting. You’re talking about unbelievable physical consequences… including, knock on wood, in our sport it’s very rare, but death.”
— Joe Rogan
“You cannot do that to these guys. These guys lay it on the line every time. We’re not slapping a puck or hitting a baseball, okay? We’re really out there getting hurt.”
— Josh Thomson
“My concentration has always been to elevate. My concentration’s never been to demean someone unless there’s something that they did that’s illegal.”
— Joe Rogan
“If you wanna do something else, your new life is gonna cost your old one.”
— Josh Thomson
“If you’re not in the UFC, you’re not shit—that’s crazy. There are guys out there like Lima where I look and go, ‘He might be able to beat everybody.’”
— Joe Rogan
QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE
5 questionsWhere should the line be drawn between entertaining sports commentary and disrespect toward fighters who risk serious harm?
Joe Rogan and Josh Thomson spend most of the conversation dissecting Stephen A. Smith’s criticism of Donald Cerrone and broader sports‑talk ‘hot take’ culture invading MMA coverage.
Should major promotions like the UFC ever risk cross‑promotional events to truly determine ‘best in the world,’ even if it could hurt their brand?
They argue that fighting’s physical danger and emotional cost demand respect and informed analysis, contrasting real experts like Max Kellerman, Daniel Cormier, and Big John McCarthy with mainstream personalities learning the sport on air.
How can MMA organizations better support fighters in planning financially and psychologically for life after fighting?
From there, they branch into deep MMA talk: cross‑promotion possibilities, the quality of Bellator/ONE talent, Khabib vs. Ferguson and GSP, Conor’s future, rule sets, and the evolution of fighters’ careers and commentary roles.
Would legalizing knees to a grounded opponent and revising other rules make MMA safer in practice or just more violent to watch?
Throughout, Thomson draws on his Strikeforce/Bellator experience and current analyst role to advocate for fighter respect, smarter matchmaking, and better post‑career planning for athletes.
Is the current weight‑class structure (especially between 155 and 170) distorting who becomes champion and how long careers last?
EVERY SPOKEN WORD
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