It’s been quite a few days now since UFC 214 took place, but one of the storylines that’s still being discussed, is Joe Rogan’s post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier.
As you know, Cormier was KO’d by his longtime rival, Jon Jones, at the July 29th event. After the bout, Rogan interviewed Cormier, who appeared to be still dazed and was very emotional. Some of Cormier’s detractors, unfortunately, have used the moment to ridicule the decorated and highly respected fighter. This has only added fuel to the debate, as to whether Rogan should be interviewing any fighter who’s been stopped.
Well, Jones was asked to weigh-in on this debate, and here’s some of what the light-heavyweight champ had to say (quotes via MMA Junkie):
“I think it is unfair for ‘D.C.’ to be interviewed, but Joe Rogan apologized for it, and his explanation made great sense,” Jones said. “He was caught up in the moment, which we all were. I think it’s unfair for Daniel to be interviewed, but at the same time it is fair to the fans. It is fair to see just the raw emotion that goes into it. This fight has been two years in the making, and people want to hear from Daniel.
“Even if he’s fresh off a knockout they just want to see how he feels and where he was at. The UFC slogan is ‘as real as it gets.’ It was a very real moment, a moment that I appreciated and I’m sure all the fans appreciated, even though it probably wasn’t the best moment for Daniel.”
It was certainly a monumental fight, and there’s no question that a lot of folks wanted to hear from Cormier. But, based off what Rogan has said about this since, and previous statements he’s made about not wanting to interview fighters that have been stopped, chances are we won’t see this happen again.
Jones and Cormier also fought in January, 2015, and the latter lost the fight via decision. Cormier has only been defeated twice in his MMA career.