Joe Rogan, one of the preeminent voices in the MMA world, may not have made the trip across the pond for UFC London at The O2 Arena. Like many fans the world over, he was watching and critiquing the fights.

As is usually the case when he’s not working a UFC telecast, the stand-up comedian who could potentially become a correspondent on 60 Minutes helmed a “Fight Companion” edition of his eponymous podcast of his The Joe Rogan Experience podcast during Saturday’s card. UFC London had the highest of highs, with the evening’s featured prelim seeing Mason Jones defeat Axel Sola (unanimous decision) in a prime contender for best fight of 2026.

It also had what could be the lowest of lows for the entire year in the UFC. During the main card of UFC London, Michael Page (25-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) bested Sam Patterson (14-3-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) by way of unanimous decision in a fight that had the crowd booing for a lack of action. Even UFC CEO Dana White walked away from his seat at the table during the contest.

Joe Rogan Believes Poor Matchmaking Responsible for Tedious UFC London Tilt Saturday Night

Statistically speaking, the Michael Page vs. Sam Patterson contest which took place on UFC London was a close one, but the numbers say very little about what one of the most prominent names in MMA media thought of the fight. Page outpaced Patterson, his sparring partner,  33-25 in total strikes throughout 15 minutes.

Rogan weighed-in on the contest as it was transpiring this weekend. He’s of the mindset that the powers that be are at fault for the contest that was on Saturday evening.

“They didn’t think, ‘These guys are training partners, this [fight] might be a stinker,’” Joe Rogan began. “Maybe it’s like you can’t get anybody to fight ‘Venom’ Page in London. It might have been a bunch of dudes said no, and [Sam] Patterson was like ‘Let’s go.’”

Joey Diaz Weighs-In on Lackluster Fight in London

Also joining Rogan on the “Fight Companion” edition of his podcast was fellow stand-up comic and frequent guest of The Joe Rogan Experience, Joey Diaz. He delivered his thoughts on the fight in a way only he can.

“Do something here!,” Diaz exclaimed in the final minute of the opening round. “This is why Dana White gets pissed off. You want to go in there and battle. How much are we going to weigh each other?”

Later, fellow guest Brendan Schaub mentioned that he reviews UFC fights for his own podcast, prompting Joey Diaz to make a simple suggestion.

“Review this one,” he said.

Joe Rogan’s Thoughts Continued

As this contest progressed on Saturday night, it was abundantly clear that Rogan was highly frustrated with what he was watching play out on the screen.

“We’ve had two stinker rounds,” he said as the third and final round of the fight was beginning. Given the laborious nature of the welterweight tilt, Rogan and his panel filled time by discussing Anderson Silva’s new career as a police officer before turning the conversation back to the bout itself.

“This might be the least action ever of any fight ever,” he pondered, “next to Derrick Lewis [versus] Francis Ngannou, right?” Schaub cut into Rogan’s comments by reminding the audience, “I told you guys, it’s two well-known training partners.”

Despite Joe Rogan’s disappointment, he did give Sam Patterson some plaudit for his performance inside the fabled Octagon.

“This is the first dude that ‘Venom’ Page has fought that doesn’t look like he doesn’t belong in there,” he said. “Other than Ian Machado Garry, Ian’s a bad (expletive deleted.) He figured it out, he figured out that style, just grab to the ground, beat him there.”

Brendan Schaub Circles Back to Joe Rogan’s Earlier Remarks on Matchmaking

As the final seconds ticked down to end the fight and wrap up the victory for MVP, Brendan Schaub agreed with what Joe Rogan mentioned earlier on in the bout.

“That’s not on Michael ‘Venom’ Page or Sam [Patterson,] that’s on the matchmakers,” Schaub said.

Rogan offered up his final thoughts on the contest.

“That’s a crazy matchup,” he said. “It’s literally the last guy you want to fight a style like that, someone who understands it.”

Final Thoughts

Michael Page vs. Sam Patterson is not a fight that Paramount Plus subscribers will be scrambling to the service to watch again. There’s a very real possibility that when this year ends, Saturday’s affair in UFC London will be the worst of 2026.

Joe Rogan’s views on the MVP vs. Patterson tilt were right on the money. At its best, MMA is 15 to 25 minutes of the most intense sporting action you may ever see.

When the action plays out like it did on Saturday night, MMA can produce some forgettable moments. The big question that will be answered in Page’s next fight is one of whether or not the book will be out on him.