LOS ANGELES: UFC color commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan has once again stirred debate in the MMA community with his long-standing “No Standup” rule — a concept that challenges one of the sport’s most accepted practices.
In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience featuring Michael “Venom” Page, Rogan revisited his controversial stance that fighters who get taken down should earn their way back to their feet without referee intervention. The 58-year-old argued that allowing standups undermines the authenticity of ground control and grappling skill in mixed martial arts.
“That’s why I say no standups ever,” Rogan said. “When a guy takes another guy down, that person doesn’t want to be there. If they can’t get up, that’s on them. Every fight starts standing — that already favors strikers. You’ve got to keep it real.”
Page, known for his flashy striking, countered that grapplers often use takedowns to stall rather than finish. “If you’re taking me down, try to kill me — don’t just hold me,” Page quipped. Rogan agreed that passive grappling makes fights dull but emphasized that true control and dominance on the ground are part of the sport’s core.
“If a guy can’t stand with you but can take you down anytime he wants — why would he ever let you back up?” Rogan reasoned.
Khabib Nurmagomedov: The Perfect Grappling Example
Rogan went on to name Khabib Nurmagomedov as the ideal embodiment of what grappling should be in MMA.
“Khabib gets you down, and you’re done. He’s crushing your legs, smashing your body, and hunting for the choke,” Rogan said.
The former UFC lightweight champion’s relentless pressure, control, and finishing ability have made him one of the sport’s greatest grapplers. Rogan noted that while many fighters rely on positional control, few have used wrestling and ground control as aggressively as Khabib — who finished Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje in his final three bouts.
Names like Islam Makhachev, Demian Maia, and Charles Oliveira are often mentioned among elite grapplers, but Rogan suggested that none have matched Khabib’s level of offensive dominance and ground precision.
While fighters such as Khamzat Chimaev have earned comparisons to Khabib, Rogan highlighted that his recent fights — including decision wins over Gilbert Burns, Kamaru Usman, and Dricus Du Plessis — lacked the same finishing ferocity.
Joe Rogan’s “Wacky” UFC Rule Changes
Rogan’s “No Standup” rule isn’t the only unconventional idea he’s floated. The longtime UFC commentator has previously shared his “wacky” vision for how he would reshape MMA if given control.
“I don’t even think they should fight in a cage,” Rogan said in a past podcast. “The octagon limits the essence of fighting. I’d rather see it on a big matted space — like a basketball court — with a warning track where you lose points if you cross a certain boundary.”
He believes removing the cage would create a more open, dynamic environment that rewards movement, positioning, and technique rather than cage wrestling or wall-walking to stand up.
Grappling’s Decline and Rogan’s Defense
While some fans and fighters — including Conor McGregor — have blamed grappling-heavy fights for “lowering MMA’s entertainment value,” Rogan insists that grappling remains one of the most technical and realistic components of the sport.
“Grappling is real fighting,” Rogan emphasized. “If you get taken down and can’t escape, that’s part of the fight. It’s not supposed to be easy.”
As the debate rages on, Rogan’s “No Standup” philosophy continues to divide fans — but it also underscores a timeless truth: in MMA, control and dominance still count as much as knockouts and highlight-reel finishes.
