Joe Rogan has nothing but praise for Israel Adesanya.
Adesanya lost his middleweight title in the main event of UFC 281 to Alex Pereira as he lost by fifth-round TKO. Entering the fifth round, Adesanya was winning three rounds to one on the scorecard but Pereira caught him and had him hurt against the cage before the ref stepped in.
Although some thought it might have been an early stoppage, Joe Rogan says Marc Goddard did a great job and believes it was a fine stoppage.
Joe Rogan On The Stoppage
“I don’t think Pereira was gonna stop,” Rogan said in a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast (via MMAJunkie). “He had more time, Izzy was stationary and Pereira was gonna hit him with some big shots.”
“We don’t need to see Izzy with his eyes rolled back behind his head, flat-out unconscious. I think it was a good stoppage. I could see where he would be upset about it, too, and I could see where other fights have gone on longer. And they have, but it’s a subjective call and Marc Goddard is one of the very best in the world. He’s top two or three. He might be No. 2. I think Herb Dean’s No. 1 and ‘Big’ John McCarthy doesn’t ref anymore, he was always in that same spot.”
Since the loss, Israel Adesanya has been open about it and has done a ton of media which Joe Rogan is impressed by.
