Joe Rogan demands instant rule change after 'cheating' during UFC 314 fight (2025)

Joe Rogan was seated cageside at the Kaseya Center on Saturday night as the UFC returned to Miami, Florida for UFC 314, and he was left fuming during one fight

Joe Rogan has called for a dramatic rule change as he was left furious at UFC 314 in Miami after witnessing a fighter ‘blatantly cheating.’ The veteran UFC commentator and podcast star was cageside for the action-packed Saturday night at the Kaseya Center.

Over time, the influential 57-year-old has been vocal about MMA regulations adjustments. At UFC 314, Rogan made the news once more when he put forth another rule change proposal while watching Virna Jandiroba take on Yan Xiaonan.

Despite Jandiroba cruising to a commanding decision victory - placing her firmly at the top of the strawweight division - it was her opponent's actions that enraged Rogan. In the third round, Xiaonan's fence-grabbing antics, attempting to stuff Jandiroba's takedown attempt, provoked Rogan.

Nevertheless, Jandiroba was able to eventually secure the takedown and finished the fight in a superior position, even amid the cheating insinuations. But it was then that Rogan expressed his stance on implementing stricter penalties for fence grabs and eye pokes.

"I feel like it's a one-point thing every time," he argued to co-commentators Daniel Cormier and Jon Anik. "If you don't have that, people are gonna be encouraged. I think eye pokes and fence grabs.

"That would stop it. No one would do it if you took a point away every time. If it was just an immediate, automatic point deduction every time you grabbed the fence, there would be no more fence grabs. And eye pokes. It would all stop. They would close the hand every time they reach out to try and create space."

While watching the fence grab on the official fight replay, the UFC commentator remarked: "Blantant! Long-holding, clearly cheating. One point every time. They should change the rules. One point every time there's a fence grab, and one point every time there's an eye poke."

UFC 314 proved to be a major hit anyway. Paddy Pimblett continued his meteoric rise up the lightweight division with a savage victory over Michael Chandler in the co-main encounter. Headlining the event, Alexander Volkanovski secured his status as a two-division world champion by defeating Diego Lopes via decision.

After the featherweight clash, an elated Volkanovski expressed: "Oh, man, it's good to be back. I've never felt the love so much. I was saying all week, I even said it to the camera before I walked out: I promised my girls I'll bring the belt back to them, but then I thought... it doesn't matter about bringing the belt back.

"A lot of people counted me out [...] To come back and beat a gun like Diego Lopes... It's good to be back. To everyone watching, hey, adversity is a privilege, it truly is. This moment is incredible. I love you all, I really appreciate you. It's an opportunity: you get adversity, if you build yourself back; it's only gonna make you stronger, even if it doesn't work out This is the s*** people are gonna write books about."