“Think about this … in the 20-year history that I’ve been involved (with the UFC) and before me, there’s never been a death or serious injury.” Dana White said proudly of his fight promotion’s safety measures back in 2020. However, Joe Rogan and Cory Sandhagen recently stumbled across a fighter who had had enough surgeries to make ‘Sandman’ lose count. And that fighter is none other than Ryan Hall.
On episode #167 of the JRE MMA Show, Rogan sat down with Cory Sandhagen, where the bantamweight contender reminisced of a time when people didn’t really know too much about Jiu-Jitsu, which enabled him to execute techniques like 50/50 guards and leg locks. But with fighters enhancing their knowledge base, it’s gotten increasing hard to catch people in entanglements. ‘Sandman’ said, “But 50/50 and a lot of the leg locks and a lot of stuff that Ryan teaches me and does, is so niche that like you would need an absolute expert to understand it. And I get the fortune of having that.”
The famed UFC color commentator commended Hall’s intelligence for Jiu-Jitsu, but the featherweight’s numerous surgeries worries the 57-year-old podcaster. On his various surgeries, Sandhagen stated, “I think it’s just one of those things where, like, you let one thing go and then another thing breaks, and then another thing breaks, and you kinda like are taking yourself back together, and then one day you wake up and you’re like, ‘S–, I gotta like take care of this.’”
That’s when Jamie Vernon pulled up an article about Hall’s injuries. And Rogan exclaimed, “19! General anaesthesia. First of all, that is so bad for you. So bad for you to go under general 19… It says, ‘tearing his ACL the following years and many surgeries. Jiu-Jitsu specialist wasn’t out of the woods yet.’ That is so crazy!”
As he read the text, Rogan found out that Hall initially had a planter plate fixed, but a fall ruined it all again. ‘The Wizard’ then went through a tightrope fixation to stabilize his ankle joint. Later on, his ACL got infected, and he had to undergo procedures for septic arthritis. His tightrope was allergic, and the syndesmosis had to be redone. The JRE host read aloud, “Boy! Came to injuries. He said completely bulletproof for 15 years until his training camp for Topuria, where he tore his hip right before the fight… He said more than half the surgeries are ones where, ‘Oops, we screwed up. Let’s do that again.’ Had 6 elbow surgeries and 5 knee surgeries.”
MMA: UFC 165-Jones vs Gustafsson Sep 21, 2013 Toronto, Ontario, CAN UFC commentator Joe Rogan after the Jon Jones not pictured fight against Alexander Gustafsson not pictured during their Light Heavyweight Championship bout at UFC 165 at the Air Canada Centre. Toronto Ontario CAN, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xTomxSzczerbowskix 7485195
These surgeries have kept Hall sidelined since his last win over Darrick Minner at UFC 269. Still, Sandhagen remains confident in Hall’s eventual return, believing the key challenge isn’t just physical recovery, but learning to manage the pain. However, when it comes to pain relief, not everyone agrees with conventional approaches. Joe Rogan, for instance, has been a vocal critic of painkillers.
Joe Rogan takes a strong stance against painkillers
On episode #2312 of the JRE, the UFC color commentator reflected on a story from 1993, when he underwent a knee surgery, which needless to say, came along with some intense pain. To manage that, he was prescribed acetaminophen. He recollected, “I took it one time, and I felt so bad. I remember being in my apartment in New York, just feeling so dumb and just thinking, ‘I’d rather be in pain.’”
So, what did he do with the remaining medication? He sold them! Rogan continued, “He had a bandana, long hair, a total hippie. He always sold d—. I sold them to him. He says, “I’ll take it; what do you got?’”
Later in 2003, Rogan had to undergo a knee reconstruction on his other leg. And this time, he wasn’t relying on any pharmaceuticals. He claimed, “I didn’t take anything. I’m just like, ‘I don’t want nothing. I’m just going to deal with it.’ I didn’t even take that stuff… You’re going to be in pain no matter what. It’s just going to dull it a little bit. I’d rather feel it all than just get accustomed to it.”
Nevertheless, Rogan’s concern for Hall is serious. Hall stands as a stark example of the physical toll of MMA. While Sandhagen praised his Jiu-Jitsu skills and Rogan was shocked by the extent of his injuries, Hall’s story is one of persistence through repeated surgeries and setbacks. He remains a symbol of quiet toughness, fighting battles far beyond the Octagon.
The post Joe Rogan Voices Concern Over Ryan Hall’s 19 Surgeries as Cory Sandhagen Opens Up on UFC Struggles appeared first on EssentiallySports.
