Not too long ago, Joe Rogan argued how inconvenient the Karate Combat edges were for the fighters who wanted to retreat. However, the edges of mixed martial arts weren’t far away from getting judged by the JRE host. He claimed that the UFC cage helped the athletes get back up once they were taken down against it, suggesting that a change should be welcomed to make the game a tad bit more difficult. His ideas have since found some support.

Days after Rogan called for changes to the UFC rules, former UFC champion, Kamaru Usman took to his talk show, alongside Henry Cejudo, to speak his mind. He sided with Rogan, claiming that the fighters are now learning how to use the cage to their advantage.

“Guys are getting really good at that, “Kamaru Usman on why a change is needed

During a recent talk with Cejudo on the ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ revealed how the MMA cage helped the UFC fighters and how they’re now adapting to it and using it to their advantage. As per the fighter, the cage simply acted as something that the fighters used to get themselves back up.

Usman said, “The sport has changed so much to where guys are learning how to use the cage to get up, now. To where it’s almost not even like, it’s not even wrestling anymore, because you take a guy down up close to the cage, they’re just gonna use the cage and get back to their feet. Guys are getting really, really good at that.”

Furthermore, Usman provided the example of the time when Sean O’Malley and Aljamain Sterling went against each other at UFC 292. He said that even Sterling had a tough time taking down O’Malley against the cage. “Look at Sean O’Malley. Defended Aljamain. Aljamain couldn’t take him down against the cage, you know. So guys are learning. So, guys are learning how to use that as a weapon to get back up,” the Nigerian mixed martial artist said.  

The O’Malley and Sterling bout was a good example of how fighter would raise himself back after literally fighting with his back against the wall. There have been arguments that in such cases a fight is drawn out instead of reaching a quick end and also the aggressor is left with little advantage.

While Usman and Rogan have been advocating for something different for UFC, BJJ legend Royce Gracie was a guest on the JRE revealed that the ring plans for UFC 1 were even more bizarre. He said, “First UFC, it was John Meyers, the producer for Conan The Destroyer, the father of Dirty Harry, , the Clint Eastwood, he’s in charge of creating the cage. But before the cage, they come up with some ideas they present to me.”

Gracie then revealed, “They try the Octagon, but with barbed wires. I was like. ‘Dude! Imagine if I got somebody big and just push me against and hang me on top.’ ‘Oh yeah. That’s right. Let’s make it electrical fence.’ I was like, ‘Really?’ The ideas they had, man.”

During the JRE host spoke of how UFC could do with certain changes in its current rules.

Joe Rogan wants Dana White to change a few rules

The 56-year-old podcaster talked about how the UFC could get better. One of the problems that he noted was, of course, with the UFC cage. Comparing the cage with a basketball court, Rogan said, “I think the cage helps people too because it helps people stand back up. If you get a guy down in an open room, like a basketball court, there’s nothing to help him get back up.”

He proposed that the fights could take place on a flat mat with a red zone. Once the fighters entered the red zone, they could be given a warning to get back into the safe space. This wasn’t the only change that Rogan suggested.

As the talks proceeded, the famed UFC color commentator and Gracie talked about the rules regulating hits to the back of one’s head. Rogan claimed that it was funny how the fighters weren’t allowed to hit their opponents’ nape with punches but it was okay for them to hit their opponents with a kick that did the same magnitude of damage. Rogan also believed that PRIDE regulations for matches are better and can be worked into UFC.

He said, “I think PRIDE had good rules, a 10-minute first round was better. I think 10 minutes is better.”

What are your thoughts on the MMA cage? Let us know in the comments down below.