Joe Rogan pleads for rule change after UFC 314 fighter uses same tactic as Conor McGregor in Khabib Nurmagomedov fight
Joe Rogan has called for the UFC to change its rules after 'blatant cheating' in a preliminary bout at UFC 314.
Before Paddy Pimblett finished Michael Chandler, and Alexander Volkanovski regained his featherweight title by overcoming Diego Lopes, Yan Xiaonan, and Virna Jandiroba met in a women's strawweight bout earlier in the evening
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In the final round, Xiaonan grabbed the fence to try and prevent her opponent from taking her down.
Jandiroba was still able to drag her opponent to the canvas and finish the fight on top.
However, it left a bitter taste in Rogan's mouth, who called for referees to dish out harsher penalties for intentional fouls.
“I feel like it’s a one-point thing every time,” he said on the UFC commentary desk.
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“If you don’t have that, people are gonna be encouraged. I think eye pokes and fence grabs.
“That would stop it. No one would do it if you took a point away every time.
";If it was just an immediate, automatic point deduction every time you grabbed the fence, there would be no more fence grabs. And eye pokes.
“It would all stop. They would close the hand every time they reach out to try and create space.”
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While watching the fence grab replay, Rogan added: “Blantant! Long-holding, clearly cheating.
“One point every time. They should change the rules.
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"One point every time there’s a fence grab, and one point every time there’s an eye poke.”
Fence grabs are becoming an increasing problem in MMA, with several referees failing to identify the foul.
Conor McGregor grabbed the fence multiple times against Khabib Nurmagomedov during their grudge match in 2018 without being deducted a point.
Once again, Khabib was able to get McGregor to the canvas, where he submitted him with a rear-naked choke.
But there are plenty of examples of fighters grabbing the fence and benefiting from it.
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Sharaputdin Magomedov scored a vicious third-round knockout over Antonio Trocoli last year after grabbing the fence to prevent himself from being pulled down to the canvas.
Referee Marc Goddard chose not to deduct a point or restart the position, as he should have under the unified rules of MMA, allowing Magomedov to stay on his feet and subsequently finish the fight.
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