Joe Rogan is extremely high on this middleweight powerhouse.
The longtime UFC color commentator has had a close view of some top prospects across his lengthy tenure cageside.
While he’s seen plenty of promising newcomers fall short of their potential on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, the podcaster and stand-up comedian has also witnessed some prospects take off and rise to stardom.
And Rogan expects this 9-1 middleweight to fall into the latter category when all is said and done…
LATEST NEWS: Israel Adesanya names one win that was more satisfying than his revenge KO against Alex Pereira
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Joe Rogan names ‘middleweight Francis Ngannou’ Ateba Gautier the future of MMA
Among those making waves in the UFC this year is Ateba Gautier. Since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024, ‘The Silent Assassin’ has enjoyed a perfect start to life inside the Octagon.
Gautier hails from the same country as Francis Ngannou and is widely described as the middleweight iteration of the former UFC heavyweight champion owing to his size, power, and brutal finishes.
That was on full display last time out, when Gautier ran through Tre’ston Vines at UFC 320. With his third first-round stoppage of the year, the 23-year-old’s average fight time after three bouts in the promotion stands at just two minutes and eight seconds.
Rogan has taken notice of Gautier’s potential and went as far as to brand him the “future” of this sport during a recent episode of his podcast.
“Ateba Gautier. This guy is from Cameroon. Oh, he’s f—— terrifying,” the UFC commentator said to Shane Gillis on the Joe Rogan Experience.
“He’s 185 pounds, six-foot-four, built like a Greek god, smokes everybody. Everybody just gets smoked.
“Terrifying power, super speed, excellent technique — everything,” he continued. “He’s good, man. He’s good. Super f—— strong, too. Very big for the weight class and awesome striking, man.
“That guy’s the future. He’s the future.”
THROWBACK: Dana White was badly wrong when he predicted Ronda Rousey’s return would outdo Conor McGregor
…
2025-12-27 18:00:00
