Joe Rogan Reacts to 'Weird' Khamzat Chimaev-Ian Garry Altercation

Rogan’s Analysis

During a recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," Rogan discussed the incident alongside his guest, UFC middleweight contender Brendan Allen.

Allen first brought up the altercation, saying, “I like [Chimaev’s] demeanor... like the confrontation he had with Ian Garry. He’s similar to me.”

Rogan then mentioned how the video of the altercation initially went viral, saying, “The clip that everybody saw was after Ian slapped him on his back, and it looks like Chimaev just got really aggressive for no reason.”

Upon watching the clip again, however, Rogan had a different assessment than the popular narrative.

He gave his analysis of the situation, saying, “It's a little weird. He taps him. It was like a little ‘grab his clothes and shove him a little bit.’ It wasn't like a ‘Hey, brother, Good luck to you.’" 

Rogan Fans Out

For his part, Rogan's commentary amplifies a central tension in Chimaev's career, the dichotomy between his otherworldly competitive prowess and his combustible personality. He, along with other UFC talking heads, remains an admirer of Chimaev’s high-level skill. 

Elsewhere in the podcast, he sang praises of Chimaev’s natural fighting talent, especially in the grappling department.

He told Brendan Allen, “The thing about his grappling is that, if you have that hole, he’s going to find that hole, and he’s going to smother you, and you’re f—cksville.”

Other than his natural talent, Rogan also admired Chimaev’s work ethic. At the same time, however, he acknowledged that his hard-nosed approach to training also prevented him from recovering properly.

The issue with Khamzat was overtraining,” he said. “Apparently you can't kick him out of the f— gym. He he he won't stop training and you’ve got to literally stop him from training. He’s a maniac. When he got COVID, that’s what really f—ed him up.”

A Well-Oiled Promotional Machine

Despite Rogan's slightly critical take on Chimaev’s training habits, his analysis of the scuffle seemed to justify Chimaev's shove response, and he also seems to share Chimaev’s opinion that Garry was being too touchy with his greeting. 

In his own post-fight comments, Chimaev’s opinion lined up with Rogan’s current dissection of Garry’s Greeting, saying at a post-fight press conference, “If you want to show respect, respectfully touch somebody. But he came like that to make some hype. Like, you know that guy, trying to be Conor [McGregor]. He’s never gonna be Conor. He’s a sh— fighter.”

In his own interview during the post-fight press conference, Garry welcomed the prospect of a future with “Borz” down the line. 

“I’ll get him one day,” he declared boldly. “They’re all gonna try and grab a hold of my legs, boring little- don’t get me started.”

The fallout from this incident sets the stage for a tantalizing future clash that could be a part of the UFC’s lineup as it enters a new broadcasting era with Paramount. 

Both fighters move forward, but this backstage shove could eventually set the wheels in motion for a future clash. Whether it was his intention or not, Rogan’s comments could be a critical factor that helps keep the promotional wheels for this dream fight turning.