Joe Rogan has been cage side for some of the most iconic moments in MMA history. And he knows better than most, it only takes a second to change everything in a fight. One wrong move, one clean punch, or—sometimes—one referee’s call. That’s the cruel magic of MMA. Fighters train for months, sometimes years, to climb the mountain. But when a whistle blows too soon or a position gets reset without reason? It all comes crumbling down.
All because of a referee’s questionable intervention. So when Joe Rogan sat down with former featherweight champ Ilia Topuria on the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) MMA Show no. 166, the fire in his voice returned, sparked by an old wound. A referee’s decision that may have rewritten history. And a more recent one that has left many scratching their heads!
Joe Rogan and Ilia Topuria question stoppages as Dan Ige and Sean Woodson’s clash from UFC 314 under scrutiny
While watching an old fight between Kamaru Usman and Demian Maia from UFC Fight Night 129, Joe Rogan didn’t hold back. “As soon as he lets go of that arm… Kamaru’s f—-, man. This is a terrible spot to be,” Rogan said, breaking down the precarious exchange along the fence between the two fighters. Then came the turning point. The referee separated them. Maia lost position. And Usman went on to win the bout via unanimous decision.
That one decision echoed louder than it should have. For Rogan, it wasn’t just about position—it was about destiny. He further continued, “There’s no reason to separate those guys, referee mistakes are crazy. You know, like there’s moments in fights where referees make mistakes, where a fighter’s whole career just changes. Just flashes before their eyes.”
Ilia Topuria nodded in agreement with the take. But his mind flashed to something much fresher, UFC 314, as he stated, “The other day also something happened in the card with Dan Ige, I don’t know why he stopped the fight.”
In the fight between Dan Ige and Sean Woodson at UFC 314, momentum shifted like sand in a storm. After two cautious rounds, Ige finally caught Woodson with a crisp left hand, then stormed in with body shots and short hooks. Woodson dove for a takedown, clinging to Ige’s leg. Then came a handful of hammerfists—and suddenly, the referee jumped in.
BACK IN THE WINNERS COLUMN @DynamiteDan808 gets the TKO in Round 3!
[ #UFC314 LIVE NOW ] pic.twitter.com/3QJ7mp8aal
— UFC (@ufc) April 13, 2025
The fight was over but there was confusion everywhere. As such, Topuria indicated, “I think he would win the fight anyways, but he didn’t had to stop the fight.” Joe Rogan agreed, adding, “Yeah, it was a bad stoppage.”
Daniel Cormier, Rogan’s partner at the commentary desk during the fight, pointed out that because of the stoppage, Woodson may have lost a part of his paycheck because up until that point, he was seemingly ahead on the scorecards. And that’s the brutal part. These aren’t video game resets. This is real money. Real careers. Real scars.
As Joe Rogan and Ilia Topuria dissected it all, the message was clear: Referees don’t just manage fights—they shape careers. One decision can possibly turn a future champion into a cautionary tale. Yet, this isn’t the first time a fight stoppage has led to raised eyebrows in the MMA sphere this year!
Veteran MMA referee highlights controversial decision in Chris Curtis vs Roman Kopylov clash
Let’s take a look back at UFC Fight Night 249 from earlier this year in January. In a clash in the middleweight division, Chris Curtis and Roman Kopylov were locked in a chess match of violence. One round apiece, and just seconds remained in the third. The, a head kick from Kopylov sent Curtis tumbling.
But instead of following up, Kopylov walked off. He thought he’d done enough. Referee Mark Smith agreed. With just a single second left, he waved the fight off. Curtis, still conscious, exploded in disbelief.
And veteran referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy didn’t hold back. Speaking on an episode of the ‘Weighing-In’ podcast, he stated, “It was obvious Kopylov was winning the third round, but I know the stoppage was bad.”
Why? Because the final moment wasn’t a flurry of punches or a fighter getting mauled. It was a single strike, followed by nothing. As such, McCarthy continued, “He has nothing to defend. Don’t stop the fight there. If he’s out, stop the fight.” Curtis wasn’t out and traveling the shadow realm, he was still looking at his opponent but Kopylov chose to walk-off instead.
So what would McCarthy have done if he were inside the Octagon at the time? He confessed, “I know that I’ve only got two, three seconds left in this fight, and I have an opponent who’s walking away, I don’t stop the fight.”
To wrap things up, in a sport where milliseconds matter and careers hang by a thread, the referee’s call can feel like the swing of a sword—either delivering justice or cutting a dream short. Joe Rogan knows this too well. And as January’s UFC Fight Night 249 reminded fans once again, so did Chris Curtis, as that was his second loss in a row in his recent fights.
So what’s the solution? More accountability by the referees? Better training? Or perhaps, just more patience in the final seconds? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The post “Fighter’s Whole Career Changes”: Joe Rogan & Ilia Topuria Blast Referees as UFC 314 Controversy With Dan Ige Rears Its Head appeared first on EssentiallySports.
