Joe Rogan has his eye on a heavyweight outside the UFC who he believes could make a real impact.
Rogan, who has spent years calling fights for the promotion, knows what top-tier talent looks like, especially in a division that's seen better days.
The heavyweight scene isn't what it once was, with names like Stipe Miocic, Cain Velasquez, Fabricio Werdum and Brock Lesnar now part of the past.
The landscape is quite different these days. Miocic remains under contract but hasn't fought since losing to Ngannou in March 2021. Werdum retired after his last fight in 2021.
Velasquez hasn't competed since 2019 due to legal issues and injuries. Lesnar returned to WWE full-time after leaving MMA behind.
The division hasn't seen much fresh blood lately, either. Jon Jones is still recovering from an injury sustained while preparing for his bout with Miocic last year, and Tom Aspinall continues to defend the interim title in Jones' absence.
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With 15 wins from 19 fights, Bilostenniy has picked up five victories from his last six appearances across both PFL and Bellator. The only loss in that stretch came against Valentin Moldavsky, a former interim Bellator heavyweight champion.
The Russian made headlines earlier this month with a knockout of Renan Ferreira at PFL Sioux Falls, landing a huge right hand to finish the fight. The Brazilian had previously faced Francis Ngannou and walked away without a victory.
"Who's that guy who just knocked out Renan Ferreira? That guy is legit," Rogan said. "Him vs anybody is interesting. That guy is legit. I watched that Ferreira fight and I was like, holy."
Rogan added: "He moves like Fedor (Emelianenko) too. He trained with Fedor? That is interesting. He just looked so dominant throughout the fight, man, right away.
The UFC commentator also said: "This kid is very, very legit. The speed," he continued. "The world needs another big heavyweight, man, and it's awesome that this guy exists. That guy can compete with anybody."
Ferreira lost three straight fights – starting with his stoppage defeat to Ngannou in the first round of the former UFC champion's lone PFL appearance.
Meanwhile, Bilostenniy has emerged as one of the top heavyweights outside MMA's main promotion and has trained under Red Devil Sport Club – an academy led by Emelianenko himself – considered by many as the greatest heavyweight fighter ever.
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