UFC president Dana White says commentator and controversial podcaster Joe Rogan could’ve worked at UFC 271 and the elected not to.
Rogan has been under fire in recent weeks over alleged misinformation on his podcast, along with a viral video compilation that featured him using a racial slur. Rogan has since apologized and will not be punished by Spotify or the UFC.
It was originally reported by some media outlets that Rogan’s absence from UFC 271 was due to a “scheduling conflict”. It’s unclear if there was a conflict to begin with or if Rogan chose not to work on his own accord.
During his UFC 271 post-fight press conference, White cleared the air regarding why Rogan wasn’t present on the commentary team.
“There was no conflict of schedule, Joe Rogan didn’t work tonight. Joe Rogan could’ve worked tonight and I don’t know what he had to do, but there was no “Joe couldn’t work”, that was bulls**t. Whenever he’s gonna work again, he’ll be working.”
Rogan has been the voice of the UFC going back decades and has emerged as one of the most prominent personalities in the sport of MMA as a whole. He also hosts the top podcast in the world which is listened to by millions.
But, his large platform hasn’t come without controversy. He’s been criticized for allegedly spreading misinformation regarding COVID-19 vaccines and other issues regarding the pandemic.
White has defended Rogan on numerous occasions, most recently after he promoted the controversial drug Ivermectin, which he used to treat a bout of COVID-19 despite it not being listed as an authorized treatment by the FDA.
White and Rogan appear to still have a good relationship but it remains unclear what Rogan’s reasoning was behind missing one of the biggest cards of the year.
What were your thoughts on the UFC 271 commentary team without Joe Rogan?