Joe Rogan Claims Conor McGregor Is 'Not The Same Animal' He Once Was

Joe Rogan is held in high regard among mixed martial arts fans.

As a respected commentator, successful podcaster and a true pioneer of the sport, his opinions ultimately carry a substantial amount of weight.

But his latest take on arguably the UFC's current biggest star might be quite hard to accept for some die-hards.

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Speaking on the latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast, he admitted that fan favourite Conor McGregor isn't the same fighter he used to be following his damning defeat at the hands of Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.

"Dustin is a different person," he said.

"He's a different person than he was when they first fought (back in 2014).

"And Conor is a different person too. But I don't think he's the same animal that he was back then.

"And also, their strategies are different. Someone could say, 'Oh, it's tough to be a savage when you're waking up in silk sheets.' Yeah, (but) he fought well in the beginning. He fought well.

"He landed good shots and Dustin admitted there was one time where he was caught and he was in a little bit of trouble. But the strategy of those low kicks... Conor has that wide stance and he puts a lot of weight on that front leg. And he did not seem to have an answer for those low kicks.

"And that is just a f***ing new element of the game that seems unstoppable. Because you can only take a couple.

"Khabib [Nurmagomedov] was saying that when he fought Justin Gaethje that those low kicks were as hard as he's ever been hit before. Even he probably recognised he couldn't take too many of those."

It seems like everyone has had an opinion on the Irishman in the aftermath of his loss - even Rogan.

The commentator has copped his fair share of criticism in the past for supposedly favouring McGregor during his fight-calling, so even for him to suggest that McGregor is somewhat over the hill is a pretty damning assessment in itself.

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Former dual-division champ McGregor was knocked out for the first time in his UFC career, leading for many to claim that his career in mixed martial arts is all but over.

But if the latest rumours about a boxing bout against the legendary Manny Pacquiao are true, then we probably won't be waiting too long to see McGregor back in action.

Topics: Conor Mcgregor, Dustin Poirier, joe rogan, UFC News, MMA News, UFC 257, UFC, Australia, MMA

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry