Joe Rogan has hailed the UFC Freedom 250 main event between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje as the greatest fight he has ever witnessed, describing the bout as the highlight of his more than two decades calling combat sports.
Speaking this week on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan reflected on the electric atmosphere surrounding the event, recalling the massive crowd reaction throughout the night.
"It was insane," Rogan said. "I'm a hyperbolic individual and I'm always like, 'This is the greatest.' This is awesome. Like that was the wildest experience that I've ever had in my 20 whatever years of calling combat sports. There's nothing even close."
Rogan went even further in his praise, calling the event itself unparalleled.
"It was the greatest night of fights of all time. The main event was the greatest fight of all time," he said.
According to Rogan, Topuria entered the contest as the favorite in the eyes of many fans due to his elite skill set, and he initially lived up to those expectations by controlling much of the early action.
"Most people thought that he was going to be too much, and he was too much for a while," Rogan explained. "He almost took Justin out in the second round."
However, Rogan believes the momentum shifted after Topuria emptied the tank in pursuit of a finish. He noted that the former champion appeared to suffer damage that affected his vision before fatigue began to set in.
"It looked like he got really damaged in either the first or the second round," Rogan said. "He was having real trouble seeing out of one of his eyes."
As the fight progressed, Rogan said Gaethje's trademark durability and relentless pressure began to take over.
"Justin recovered. And Justin started battering Ilia in the third and fourth," he said. "By the end of the fourth round, Ilia quit on his stool."
The dramatic comeback capped off what many have already labeled an instant classic, with Rogan insisting the five-round war stands alone atop the list of the greatest fights he has ever called.
