Joe Rogan claims ‘error or corruption’ played part in Tyson Fury’s win over Deontay Wilder

Tyson Fury benefitted from “error or corruption” in his thrilling knockout victory over Deontay Wilder, UFC commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan has claimed.

Fury defeated Wilder to defend his WBC heavyweight title and complete the pair’s trilogy in an instant classic in Las Vegas last weekend.

The ‘Gypsy King’ knocked Wilder out in the 11th round of the fight but was himself floored twice in the fourth round by the big-hitting American.

Rogan has alleged that Fury was given a “long count” by referee Russell Mora, who he said paused his count to tell Wilder to go back to his corner.

“The referee is supposed to go ‘One two…’ when the guy goes down. But if for any reason he has to interrupt the count… you’re supposed to pick up the count where the ringside counter has it,” said the host of the Joe Rogan Experience.

“So there’s a guy who’s counting ringside, and he’ll keep the count going. So if you’re at ‘One, two,’ and then you’re like ‘Go to a neutral corner,’ that guy is supposed to be like ‘three, four, five,’ but he didn’t.

"He went back to it, ‘three, four,’ but the guy had already been down for a couple seconds. Without a doubt it was a long count. I think it’s an error, or corruption. Most likely an error, most likely the guy’s panicking."

Former UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier was another observer to question the slow count but Rogan also conceded that Fury was the deserved winner.

“There’s maybe one or two other humans that have ever lived that can punch as hard as [Wilder]. He’s without a doubt one of the hardest punchers of all time. He’s a murderous puncher, but the level of skill was so evident,” he said.

“The difference is Tyson Fury is a masterful boxer, he’s masterful. His strategy was amazing. Just stay glued to Deontay, wear on him, hang on him, make him work, and just drag him deeper and deeper into these f****** horrible waters filled with crocodiles.

“That’s what he did, and almost got knocked out doing it. That’s how dangerous Wilder is.”

The headline of this article was amended on 22 October 2021 to make it clear that Rogan claimed ‘error or corruption’ played a part in Tyson’s win, and not ‘corruption’.