Stephen A. Smith is not backing down.
The ESPN analyst drew criticism for ripping into UFC fighter Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone after he lost in just 15 seconds to Conor McGregor. Joe Rogan, who was on TV with Smith when he ranted about Cerrone looking like he gave up, went on a podcast to criticize Smith’s remarks.
So apparently, the two analysts aren’t happy with each other. Rogan doesn’t think Smith should be firing off hot takes about a sport he doesn’t understand. Smith, meanwhile, doesn’t think Rogan should be firing off hot takes about Smith’s job.
“You have your right, just like I have my right to respond, as I’m doing right now,” Smith said in the message directed at Rogan. “But any time you want to talk to me about this fight, or you want to talk to me about my credentials to discuss something in the world of sports, name the time and place, Joe Rogan, and I’ll show up. It’s not a problem. It’s not a problem at all.
“You don’t know me, so I’m not going to knock you for speaking out the way you spoke out without calling me. I don’t care about all that. I respect where you’re coming from. You’re just wrong on this particular one, and I’m telling you you’re wrong.”
Maybe Rogan and Smith should step into the octagon to settle their beef. After all, a video of Smith going through a boxing workout made rounds on social media. That would be quite the pay-per-view event.
