Joe Rogan Comes Clean on Butchering Russian Names on UFC’s Biggest Stage

UFC veteran Joe Rogan talks about often making mistakes in pronouncing the names of Russian and Dagestani fighters in the UFC.

Joe Rogan Comes Clean on Butchering Russian Names on UFC’s Biggest Stage

Joe Rogan shares his struggles in pronouncing Dagestani and Russian names (via X)

Joe Rogan is undoubtedly a legendary UFC figure, admired for his passion, dedication, and deep knowledge of the sport’s intricacies. He consistently interviews fighters post-battle, announcing their names with energy, often capturing raw emotions in those intense octagon moments live. Over time, he has encountered countless fighters, and even seasoned professionals like Rogan can find the task overwhelming.

UFC is the premier MMA promotion globally, drawing elite fighters from every continent, showcasing diverse skills and fighting philosophies brilliantly. This global presence gives Rogan constant chances to interact with fighters of various nationalities, sometimes requiring help from translators. Recently, on his JRE podcast, Rogan humorously discussed his ongoing battle with correctly pronouncing difficult fighter names during broadcasts.

There are struggles, some of them are rough. I f**ked up Umar Nurmagomedov’s name once. There are a lot of these Russian and Dagestani names that are crazy. Sometimes I’ve never seen a guy fight before, they’re new to the UFC. So then I have to find them online and watch some of their fights online, and even then there are discrepancies in how to say their name. So we have to get it from them, they have little recordings where the fighter will say their name. Generally, the Russian ones are the most difficult ones

The incident Rogan described happened at UFC 272 when bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov won by submission against Brian Kelleher. During the octagon interview, Rogan struggled to pronounce Umar’s surname, botching it badly on the first attempt. Despite trying a second time, he gave up, which shocked many since he’d never mispronounced Khabib Nurmagomedov’s name before.

In recent years, Russian and Dagestani fighters have surged in the UFC ranks, showcasing dominance and earning multiple championship titles impressively. As recent as this month, the UFC featured two champions from these regions, highlighting their high level wrestling and striking prowess. Because of this rise, Rogan frequently encounters fighters with complex names, challenging his pronunciation skills during broadcasts and interviews regularly.

Joe Rogan talks about Dagestani dominance in UFC 

Khabib Nurmagomedov was the primary reason Dagestan gained massive popularity within the UFC and worldwide MMA communities alike. The legendary fighter retired undefeated with an immaculate 29-0 record, showing unparalleled dominance throughout his career. He defended his lightweight title successfully three times before retiring, deeply affected by his father’s passing and personal loss.

The Dagestani dominance in UFC
The Dagestani dominance in UFC (via MMA Fighting)

Following his retirement, his friend and teammate, Islam Makhachev, took charge to continue the Dagestani dominance. He became the champion by beating Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 and is currently the pound-for-pound king of the roster. During one of his podcast episodes, Rogan shared his views on why the Dagestani fighters are so dominant. 

Khabib had unbelievably grueling training sessions. That was one of the things that was so apparent with his endurance. Their discipline was second to none. No girlfriends, no phones, no bulls**t, no video games. F*** you. We train. Eat, recover, train. You want to really be a champion? This is how you have to work. This is how Islam Makhachev is so good. This is how Khabib is so good. Those guys are disciplined. 

Now, Makhachev is chasing even more greatness by vacating the lightweight title and moving up to the welterweight division. The fighter is expecting to fight the newly crowned champion, Jack Della Maddalena, and become a two-division champion. However, this move has attracted an array of criticism, accusing Makhachev of running away, but it doesn’t seem to affect him. 

Apart from him, Magomed Ankalaev is another Dagestani champion who recently beat Alex Pereira to achieve the status. The fighter is currently eyeing a title rematch, but hasn’t gotten any response from the Brazilian. Nevertheless, fans are excited to see whether the fighter maintains his reign as the champion in the next bout.

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