Calling the action from cageside at UFC 178, commentator Joe Rogan was closer to 'stoolgate' than just about anyone else.

After middleweight Yoel Romero survived a barrage from Tim Kennedy late in round two, the fighter delayed the start of the third by remaining on his corner stool for approximately 30 seconds longer than the prescribed one minute break period.

Romero and his cornermen blamed the delay on an overenthusiastic UFC cut man smearing too much Vasiline into a cut, but Rogan saw the delay as an intentional tactic to let the fighter recover. Romero went on to win the bout just 38 seconds into round three via a vicious technical knockout.

"If Romero was standing up they might have said there was too much Vaseline on and it would have taken two seconds to wipe it off, but he still sat on that stool," Rogan explained on his podcast. "He sat on that stool. Just sat there. Tim Kennedy's in front of him going, 'What the f**k? Get up! What's going on?' [Romero's] still just sitting on the stool. That should be it. [Referee John McCarthy] should have called the fight right there. You can't just sit on the stool."

Rogan believes McCarthy was reluctant to stop the bout as not to rob fans of the excitement of a potential finish, but that ultimately the ref should have stepped in.

"You can't let that happen," said Rogan. "You don't expect it to happen but I guess you have to be diligent with some corners who, they know, know how to get themselves out of a f***ing situation."

Much more willing to forgive Kennedy's possible foul of holding Romeo's glove, Rogan believes the Cuban's indiscretion was much more egregious.

"Yoel Romero knew that the round [break] was over," said Rogan. "He knew he was getting extra break. 100 percent. One thousand million percent. He was sitting there. Kennedy was in front of him saying, 'What's going on? Get up!' And he still just sat there. That extra 29 seconds was f***king gigantic."

5 MUST-READ STORIES

MMA Beat. The panel discusses Cung Le testing positive for HGH, the fallout from UFC 178, this weekend's busy MMA schedule, and much more.

'Unreliability.' Not only is Cung Le questioning the results of the test which led to his suspension for usage of human growth hormone, he's questioning the testing procedure itself.

Next for Aldo. Assuming UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo isn't dethroned by Chad Mendes, Dana White says Conor McGregor would likely be the next No. 1 contender.

Floor is set. Despite an absolute calamity, UFC 177 is estimated to have done around 125,000 Pay-Per-View buys.

Hendo to return. Dan Henderson wants to return at UFC 182 in January, but doesn't have an opponent or weight class figured out yet.

MEDIA STEW

UFC Fight Night Stockholm: Fight Week.

Media day highlights from UFC Fight Night: Halifax.

Alexander Gustafsson is ready for some south eastern men's league.

Bellator 127 preview.

TTTHS.

Throwback video of Ronda Rousey rolling with Nick Diaz.

Conor McGregor partying with Lorenzo Fertitta after UFC 178.

Long watches.

TeamAlphaMaleRadio 2014.10.02 (TJ Dillashaw)

TWEETS

Still trolling.

Looks like its fajita's with the Fertitta's in Mexico!!! #UFC180 #McGregorVsSanchez — Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 2, 2014

@TheNotoriousMMA to all the Irish your conor is fake! he's all talk! I comfortably oblige... put your money where your big mouth is #UFC180 — Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) October 2, 2014

Simple enough.

@norman_parke I tore both of mine in 2011 get stem cell treatment helped me heal up twice as fast... #shithappens — Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) October 3, 2014

Cuttin'.

Boys getting the last bit out .. Weight cuts are never easy but it has to get done. UFC fight night... http://t.co/4w99Tf0ibk — Roger Huerta (@RogerHuerta) October 2, 2014

Getting ready to shed some water weight, got my plastics on and will begin dehydrating till weighins... http://t.co/lldNn9QYDs — Bryan Caraway (@BryanCaraway) October 3, 2014

Get well soon.

Alllllrighty, about to hop in this MRI and get some answers about my fight suspension. See yo... http://t.co/duQQ3ecOrj pic.twitter.com/v6LQ57h6u5 — Alpha Cat Zingano (@CatZingano) October 2, 2014

OK.

I took down Kim Jong-Un and still made it back in time for Battleground tomorrow night — chael sonnen (@sonnench) October 3, 2014

Friends, I'm ok, it's time to restart the career .Skoro meet again, but everything will be different.

Друзья , я нормально , пришло время пере загрузить карьеру .Скоро увидимся , но все будет по другому . — Shlemenko Alexander (@StormShlemenko) October 2, 2014

I wonder.

How many doctors have been fired cause they don't know how to administer HGH? It's never been the fighter's fault. Lol — Rose Namajunas (@rosenamajunas) October 2, 2014

I believe it is simply wrong 4 the @ufc to suspend a fighter based upon inadequate hGH testing that is not recognized by WADA. — Victor Conte (@VictorConte) October 3, 2014

Super Saiyan Rousey.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Oct. 2 2014)

Al Iaquinta vs. Ross Pearson at UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Rockhold

cancelled Norman Parke vs. Diego Sanchez at UFC 180

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day comes via theFightWhisperer.

Gunnar by a snooze--why Rick Story is going to sleep

When Alexis Davis walked out to "Royals" by Lorde, for her recent title fight with Ronda Rousey I was aghast. "WTF is wrong with her?!?" I snarled at the flat screen above the taps at Buffalo Wild Wings. I had about a grand left in my bankroll that wasn't already committed to Rousey to finish the fight in under 2.5 rounds, at about (-220) or so, and I promptly put half of that on the same bet. I wasn't all in, but I was close. Of course, Rousey finished the fight in 16 seconds, or 12 minutes, 14 seconds sooner than what I needed to win my bet. My point is not to warn you, not to congratulate myself. While I was already convinced Rousey would finish Davis early, Davis' choice of walk-out music convinced me to throw one more bet against her. How could she get pumped up for the fight of her life to that?? If Gunnar "Gunny" Nelson walks out this Saturday to Enya, looking like he just got done with a full body massage in an aromatherapy chamber, don't call your bookie to get a last minute bet down on Rick "The Horror" Story(+260). ...

Check out the rest of the post here.

Found something you'd like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me up on Twitter @SaintMMA and we'll include it in tomorrow's column.