UFC commentator sparks controversy and questions athlete protection rule: 'Everything is so vulnerable'

Joe Rogan is an official UFC commentator. Photo: Reproduction/X

The creation of the Unified Rules for MMA was a major milestone in the professionalization of the sport in the 2000s, establishing the protection of athletes as a priority in an environment where the risk of injury is constant. However, Joe Rogan, one of the most prominent voices in the sport, recently raised a controversial issue.

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In an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the commentator questioned the ban on blows to the back of the head in MMA, arguing that this rule makes no sense, since other areas of the body, equally vulnerable, continue to be permitted targets during fights.

“I don’t even know if we should stop hitting people in the back of the head, it doesn’t make sense to me and it should be legal… If you talk to a neuroscientist, they’ll tell you that’s a particularly vulnerable area. What about the temple? The eyes? Everything is so vulnerable,” said Joe Rogan.

'Big' John McCarthy, a retired referee who was involved in the development of the unified rules, also mentioned possible changes and advocated for the legalization of knee strikes to the head of grounded opponents, a practice currently banned.