Joe Rogan snubs Conor McGregor and Jon Jones when naming favourite UFC fighter to interview

Joe Rogan has made a surprising pick when naming the UFC star who was the best to interview.

MMA is littered with some big and unique personalities and many of the sports stars understand the need to promote yourself in order develop a following and earn greater opportunities inside the Octagon.

No one embodied that philosophy more than Conor McGregor, who combined a heavy-hitting in-ring style with a brash, entertaining and often controversial public persona.

The Irish MMA icon became a two-wight UFC champion and the most popular fighter in the sport in the years following his Octagon debut in 2013.

Chael Sonnen during the MMA Awards in Las Vegas. Image: Getty

Jon Jones, the former light heavyweight champion and current heavyweight king, is another larger-than-life UFC personality thanks to his dominant and versatile fighting style, supreme self-confidence and controversial past.

But of all the fighters Rogan has interviewed inside that cage or on his podcast, the UFC fighter has named Chael Sonnen as the best talker.

“Back in the day, Chael Sonnen was the best guy to interview," the UFC commentator said during an episode of his podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience.

"He put on a show. He was the first guy to really figure out pro-wrestling-style promotion with legit fight skills.

“He almost beat Anderson Silva. He almost won that fight. If he didn’t get caught in that triangle in the last round, he would’ve won that fight.”

Competing in the UFC between 2019 and 2013, Sonnen fought predominantly at middleweight and light heavyweight during his career.

An elite wrestler, the Team Quest fighter was renowned for his take-down ability and grinding ground-and-pound style.

Sonnen was never a champion in the UFC but he did fight for titles on three occasions.

In his first title bout – against Anderson Silva in 2011 – he came close to defeating the legendary Brazilian striker, dominating the five-round fight before losing by submission in the final seconds.

In a rematch with Silva in 2012, Sonnen lost via second-round TKO after "The Spider" caught him with a knee to the body and a string of punches.

Sonnen's next fight was a jump up to the 205lbs limit to take on Jones for the light heavyweight belt. Jones made light work of his smaller opponent, claiming a first-round TKO victory.