Nearly 20 years have passed since Joe Rogan first joined the UFC. At UFC 12 in 1997, Rogan made his debut as a backstage interviewer. He made his commentary debut in 2002, and ever since he has been a prominent figure at UFC events.
Not only did he establish his career as a great broadcaster, he is one of the top voices in the world of MMA. Rogan has recently given an interesting take on the ‘tiny calves’ of UFC legend Jon Jones (27-1 in MMA).
This happened in an episode of Joe Rogan‘s podcast, ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ where the host and popular neuroscientist Andrew Huberman were engaged in a discussion about the UFC heavyweight champion’s calves being unusually small in size. “Jon Jones has the smallest calves of any man I have ever seen who is an elite athlete, and obviously he is an elite athlete,” said Joe Rogan.
The guest, Andrew Huberman, also agreed and shared some interesting takes on the legs of athletes and how it affects their performance in their respective sports. The seasoned UFC color commentator further praised Jones’ physique and feels that it is a perfect body when it comes to fighting.
“So, look at him there, even at 255lbs, he has very small calves. Its really unusual for someone who is built the way he is. He’s whole thing is he is the best at controlling distance because he is very tall,” said Joe Rogan. “He is really like the perfect build for fighting,” added the UFC commentator.
While Rogan’s take was obviously interesting, the former UFC light heavyweight champion does actually have tiny calves, and it is really fascinating how he generates that kind of power in his dangerous leg kicks.
Why Are Jon Jones’ Calves So Small?
Joe Rogan has referred to Jones’ calves as being “comically thin” because of how much skinnier they are than the rest of his body, despite having a massive 6’4″ frame and an 84″ reach that has allowed him to dominate his opponents. So, let us have a look at some of the reasons that could have possibly contributed to the size of his calves.
Firstly, the muscle belly frequently dictates someone’s calf size. Jon Jones has short, muscular bellies on his calves. This indicates that his calves attach high to the Achilles tendon, resulting in short calves and a long Achilles tendon. Even Andrew Huberman mentioned this in the Joe Rogan Experience.
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Some have even argued that his genetics might have played a role in his calves being the way they are. Genetics not only determines the potential growth of muscles but also how much body fat is distributed throughout the body. When reducing body fat, some people, like Jon Jones, lose all of their body fat from their legs before their back or stomach.
However, it is worth mentioning that the fighter has rarely been affected by his calves, no matter how tiny they are, as he is practically undefeated and is considered among the greatest to have ever fought inside the octagon.
