Joe Rogan declares Khabib Nurmagomedov “the GOAT”
Long-time UFC commentator Joe Rogan has proclaimed the unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov as the Greatest of all Time in mixed martial arts.
Nurmagomedov returned to the Octagon in the main event of UFC 254 on Saturday night, when he defended the UFC lightweight title with a second-round submission victory over Justin Gaethje, who was widely touted as his toughest test to date. In the moments after this win, Nurmagomedov shocked the world by announcing his retirement from MMA, riding off into the sunset with a flawless 29-0 MMA record and reputation as one of the best fighters ever.
Rogan was not on commentary duty for the UFC 254 card, but as a die-hard fight fan, was unsurprisingly tuned in. After the event, the UFC commentator took to Instagram to react to Nurmagomedov’s win and retirement.
He kept it short and sweet.
“Khabib Nurmagomedov is the GOAT,” Rogan wrote in the caption for a post that featured a photo of Nurmagomedov.
Joe Rogan has been working for the UFC since 1997. Initially, he served as a backstage interviewer for the promotion, but quickly moved into a color commentary role. He has worked for the promotion ever since, and has become as much a part of big UFC cards as the Octagon itself.
Over the years, Rogan has been joined at the commentary desk by fighters like Paul Felder and Nurmagomedov’s training partner Daniel Cormier. Those fighters have increasingly filled in for him, particularly on the UFC’s international shows, such as UFC 254, which emanated from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
Rogan will likely be back on commentary duty for the upcoming UFC 255 card on November 21, provided he has a clean bill of health.
