Does the artistry of combat sports ever reach a level where it transcends mere entertainment? Joe Rogan believes it can. On his podcast, he discusses the beautiful intricacy of martial arts with Mike Rowe. Rogan passionately states, “I think martial arts are art—for people that understand it.”
To illustrate this, he turns to an example of true artistry: retired boxer Emanuel Augustus. Joe leans in, asking a rhetorical question, “You know who Emanuel Augustus is?”
“He’s completely unique,” Rogan continues, his eyes wide with admiration, “doing a thing in this beautiful deceptive way.”
Rogan elaborates on what makes Augustus truly stand out. “He’s dancing, but he’s also has an understanding of distance that’s fantastic. He’s really good at avoiding punches. His head movement, even with this unorthodox dancing style, is fantastic.”
He shares a surprising anecdote from Floyd Mayweather, who admitted, “Emanuel Augustus was the most skilled opponent I ever fought.” The fighter’s record didn’t reflect his true skill.
The conversation then turns to former featherweight champ Naseem Hamed, another example of a fighter whose unorthodox style bordered on artistry.
Rogan continues, “He kind of had a similar thing going on when he was in his prime.”
His focus shifts to the realm of UFC fighters. He brings up former middleweight champ Sean Strickland and describes how he “stands straight up… and beats the f**k out of everybody.” This unique style is so impactful that it’s difficult to comprehend, as fighters are forced to adapt, “He stands straight up, moving towards you, phenomenal head movement, awesome timing.”
Rogan’s point is clear: “There’s guys that come around in fighting that have styles that are so weird and so unique. You go, ‘wait a minute, how come nobody else is doing this? Is this going to work?’”