Joe Rogan Experience - Fight Companion - September 7, 2019

Against Dustin Poirier, Khabib repeatedly took him down, controlled him, survived a tight guillotine, and finished with a rear‑naked choke, reinforcing that no one has yet solved his top control and chain‑wrestling in live competition.

The group emphasizes Tony’s insane cardio, nonstop scramble game, elbows off his back, and D’Arce threats as the unique skill set that doesn’t just try to stand up—it attacks from the bottom and may force Khabib into new grappling scenarios.

They note the reported 120+°F heat index inside the Abu Dhabi arena and speculate it compromises cardio similarly to high altitude, potentially changing late‑round dynamics in fights like Khabib vs. Poirier.

Eddie Bravo recounts older UFC examples where replay packages only showed one fighter’s success, likely swaying confused judges, and argues for more judges with real grappling/fighting expertise (e.g., Ricardo Almeida‑type figures).

They point out that fighters facing Khabib or elite wrestlers have to alter their striking—staying conservative, picking shots, and being ready to sprawl—because overcommitting (like Poirier did when he hurt Khabib) leads to exhaustion and takedowns.

Eddie outlines how leg‑locks and systems like 10th Planet’s rubber guard and dead orchard changed submission landscapes, and notes that pure jiu‑jitsu guys often avoid combat jiu‑jitsu, while MMA still underutilizes certain positional attacks from the guard.

They discuss back, shoulder, foot injuries, and how treatments from PRP/Regenokine to Panamanian stem cell clinics can rejuvenate joints and potentially mitigate long‑term damage—though Eddie remains skeptical and wants more proof.