Joe Rogan wants to see Kamaru Usman box Canelo Alvarez.
Count Joe Rogan amongst those that would actually like to see Kamaru Usman box Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez.
Rogan wants Usman to fight Canelo not because he thinks Usman would actually win the fight but because he would like ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ to earn a huge payday and be set for life.
The longtime UFC commentator and podcast giant also thinks it would be a great opportunity for Usman to work on his boxing and return to the UFC with an even greater appreciation for his striking.
“I would like to see him fight Canelo, I really would,” Rogan said on the Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson podcast (h/t MMA Fighting). “Not because I think that he’s a favorite in a boxing match against one of the greatest boxers of all time, but I want to see him get a giant payday. The same way I would like to see [Francis] Ngannou fight Tyson Fury. That’s a way you can make a s***-load of money, and I don’t think it damages his potential as a UFC fighter. I think it would be invaluable experience for him, as a champion, if he did have that fight and then came back over to MMA. I think he’d probably be even better as a striker if he gets through it relatively undamaged, even if he loses.”
Rogan also thinks it would be a mistake for Canelo to underestimate Usman, pointing to the UFC welterweight champion’s impenetrable mindset.
“He’s gonna feel some pain,” Rogan said. “It’s not the same sport, but he’s a dude that knows how to win. You have to understand this guy’s mindset, his knees are destroyed… His knees are f***** but he doesn’t care. He just doesn’t run, but he never runs out of cardio. Everything he does is just drive. All the plyometrics and all the strength and conditioning stuff he does in the gym, he’s doing it with f***** up knees. All the wrestling drills, he’s doing it with f***** up knees.”
Usman would like to take on Canelo in a ‘pound-for-pound’ crossover fight but, before there’s any talk of him stepping into the boxing ring, he must first get past No. 2-ranked welterweight Leon Edwards. Usman is still recovering from hand surgery but he is expected to put his welterweight title on the line against ‘Rocky’ at a TBA UFC event this summer.