JRE MMA Show #50 with Yves Edwards
Yves Edwards (guest), Joe Rogan (host), Narrator, Narrator
In this episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, featuring Yves Edwards and Joe Rogan, JRE MMA Show #50 with Yves Edwards explores rogan and Edwards Breakdown Wilder-Fury, MMA Judging, and PFL Joe Rogan and former UFC fighter Yves Edwards dive deep into recent combat sports events, starting with Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury and the controversy over the long count. They contrast boxing’s history and power punchers with modern MMA, debating flawed scoring systems, weight cutting, and matchmaking decisions like Holloway–Ortega and Woodley’s contenders. The conversation highlights the rise of organizations like PFL and ONE, arguing that world-class talent now exists outside the UFC. They close on Edwards’ personal journey—his father’s extraordinary limbo performances, his new martial-arts-themed children’s book, and his work on PFL’s million‑dollar tournament format.
Rogan and Edwards Breakdown Wilder-Fury, MMA Judging, and PFL
Joe Rogan and former UFC fighter Yves Edwards dive deep into recent combat sports events, starting with Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury and the controversy over the long count. They contrast boxing’s history and power punchers with modern MMA, debating flawed scoring systems, weight cutting, and matchmaking decisions like Holloway–Ortega and Woodley’s contenders. The conversation highlights the rise of organizations like PFL and ONE, arguing that world-class talent now exists outside the UFC. They close on Edwards’ personal journey—his father’s extraordinary limbo performances, his new martial-arts-themed children’s book, and his work on PFL’s million‑dollar tournament format.
Key Takeaways
The Wilder–Fury draw shows how human error and boxing rules shape outcomes.
Rogan and Edwards agree Fury was down more than 10 seconds, but note that referees don’t have stopwatches and fighters time their recovery off the count, raising questions about consistency in critical moments.
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Raw knockout power is mostly innate, but good technique amplifies it.
They compare Wilder, Tyson, Rumble Johnson, and others, arguing that bone structure, explosive musculature, and natural leverage create freakish power that training can sharpen but not fully manufacture.
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The 10‑point must system is poorly suited to MMA and should be replaced.
They criticize using a boxing-derived system for a multi‑discipline sport, preferring Pride’s ‘fight as a whole’ approach or half‑point systems that better reward overall damage, late surges, and grappling impact.
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Weight-cutting is damaging careers and demands structural change in divisions.
Using Max Holloway’s health scares and huge lightweights like Kevin Lee as examples, they push for adding a 165 lb class and shifting welterweight to 175, with more 10‑lb increments to reduce extreme cuts.
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Elite talent is now spread across PFL, Bellator, ONE, and not just the UFC.
Names like Vinny Magalhães, Ray Cooper III, Ryan Bader, and Ben Askren show that world‑class fighters can compete outside the UFC, with formats like PFL’s season and $1M finals creating real alternatives.
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Matchmaking often prioritizes narrative and star-building over merit.
They question fights like Stylebender vs. ...
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Storytelling and role models can channel MMA into positive lessons for kids.
Edwards describes his father’s world‑class limbo performances and his own children’s book series, using martial arts characters to teach discipline, resilience, and self‑respect rather than just violence.
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Notable Quotes
““That was Rocky I. It was Rocky I… Nobody won.””
— Joe Rogan (on Wilder vs. Fury)
““There are guys who are great hammers and not such good nails. You gotta be able to take them both.””
— Yves Edwards
““I fucking hate the ten‑point must, especially for MMA. You’ve got five‑minute rounds and you’re only using ten points—why?””
— Joe Rogan
““For a person like you or me, I want to see what works.””
— Yves Edwards (on grapplers like Ben Askren)
““When you see that million dollars is real, that’s gonna change everything.””
— Yves Edwards (on PFL’s format)
Questions Answered in This Episode
How would MMA strategy change if major promotions fully abandoned the 10‑point must system in favor of Pride-style ‘whole fight’ scoring?
Joe Rogan and former UFC fighter Yves Edwards dive deep into recent combat sports events, starting with Deontay Wilder vs. ...
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What safeguards should athletic commissions use when aging legends like Chuck Liddell want to return, without completely denying them autonomy?
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If a 165 lb division and revised weight classes were introduced, which current champions and contenders would be most positively or negatively affected?
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In a landscape where high-level fighters are spread across UFC, Bellator, ONE, and PFL, what’s the best way for fans and media to truly identify ‘the best in the world’?
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How can projects like Yves Edwards’ children’s book series use combat sports narratives to teach resilience and ethics without glorifying harm?
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Transcript Preview
Powerful job.
Here we go, four, three, two... Hello, E-Valence Woods. What's going on, my friend?
Not much, my man. It's-
What is that shirt? What is it, uh, a moon smiley face?
Yeah, graffitiing the moon.
Oh.
You know me and my smiley faces.
Yeah. People would graffiti the moon if they get up there.
If they could, right? (laughs)
That's probably the first thing they're gonna have to worry about, these Virgin flights they're planning on going there.
(laughs)
People leaving some shit that you can see from earth, you know?
Yeah. Pissing everywhere.
Dude, so much to talk about, so much going on.
Yeah. There's, there's a lot going on in the world of MMA, in the world of Jujitsu.
Yeah. Your world, MMA, even boxing. There's a lot of, a lot of shit going on in boxing.
Yeah.
Looks like we're gonna get Beon- Deontay Wilder. On, uh-
Oh.
... Monday, he's gonna be in here.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah. He's, uh, he's saying... Did you see the video on his, uh, uh, Instagram? He shows that it's more than 10 seconds.
10 seconds? Yeah.
Yeah, it is. It's a fact. And he plays the clock. As soon as Tyson Fury goes down, then it's more than 10 seconds before he gets back up.
The only problem with that is, I mean, it's human error, right? You can't-
Yeah.
You can't start immediately.
Right.
You know? There's, there's always that little, that little space of time.
Isn't there supposed to be a guy on the sideline, though, that starts the count?
You're right, yeah. Yep.
And then he picks it up with, "Five, four..."
Right.
Yeah. But the re- problem is referees, you know, when they're in the heat of the battle, the fucking adrenaline, their seconds... It's not like they have a stopwatch in their hand, they hit it every time a guy goes down, which why don't they have?
Proba- it's too much to remember. We were just talking about-
I guess.
... the heat of the moment.
Boom, click. Is that too much to remember? I mean, think about all the shit Tyson Fury has to remember.
(laughs)
You know?
That's all instinct, right?
Yeah.
But Fury... I mean, that fight, I wanted... Of course, I'm, I'm, I'm rooting for Wilder, 'cause I like, I like big knockouts. You know what I mean?
Yeah.
And, um, he looked good in the first two rounds and then he just looked like he abandoned the, the game plan and he was just looking for the knockout after that.
Well, he, he's got a problem. The problem is, he can knock anybody the fuck out. That's a problem.
Anybody except that guy.
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