UFC: Joe Rogan thinks Khabib Nurmagomedov ‘could still’ challenge Charles Oliveira for title
- UFC commentator feels former lightweight champ might be tempted to come out of retirement and fight his successor
- ‘That would’ve been the fight, and maybe it still could be,’ Rogan says after Oliveira’s rise to prominence
Khabib Nurmagomedov may yet come out of retirement for a titanic showdown with his successor to the UFC’s lightweight throne, according to commentator Joe Rogan.
“The Eagle” walked away from MMA and vacated his belt in October 2020, telling UFC president Dana White “I am levels above these guys”. But Charles Oliveira has since cemented his status as a worthy challenger.
“Do Bronx” claimed the vacant title with a second-round TKO of Michael Chandler, before successfully defending it against Dustin Poirier this month, sparking increasing calls from fans for Nurmagomedov to step back into the Octagon and face the Brazilian.
“Oh yes, that would’ve been the fight and maybe it could still be,” Rogan said on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. “Khabib might decide at one point in time, ‘you know …’”
The 32-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Oliveira (32-8, 1 no contest) holds the record for submissions in the UFC (15), the latest coming against former interim champ Poirier, who tapped to a third-round standing rear-naked choke in Las Vegas.
“It’s the way he [Oliveira] does it man … jiu jitsu is a wild thing,” Rogan said. “And that’s the difference between Oliveira and these guys. They’re all really good standing up, and he’s really good standing up, so there’s an even playing field.
“But when that [expletive] gets a hold of you, you’re in deep, terrifying danger where you can’t make any mistakes.
“These guys are elite. They come close to beating them. But he finds a way to beat them, and the way he does it is so final. The way he beat Poirier, that choke was so good.”
Oliveira’s rise to prominence in the UFC has been remarkable, given his relatively slow start in the promotion.
Debuting at the age of 20, the Brazilian went 10-8 before reeling off a stunning 10-fight win streak, which was capped by his first title defence at UFC 269.
“His jiu jitsu was really good, but maybe striking wasn’t as good,” Rogan said, reflecting on Oliveira’s rise. “Slowly they merged where it was equal.
“But the difference is his level in jiu-jitsu is a leap higher than most of the people he’s competing against.”
