There will be a brand new line-up on the call for UFC 284.
UFC 284 will feature a never before seen line-up on the desk this weekend in Perth, Australia. This news comes after it was revealed both Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier would not be making the trip down under.
The newly configured broadcast team is now set as Jon Anik on play-by-play alongside former UFC champions Michael Bisping and Dominick Cruz. Megan Olivi will be the onsite reporter (per MMA Fighting).
The usual line-up for pay-per-views is Anik, Cormier and Rogan. However, Rogan has not appeared on PPVs outside North America for sometime.
Rogan’s absence from the line-up comes as the podcast host finds himself embroiled in yet another controversy. The current firestorm around Rogan was spurred by him saying, on his podcast, that “the idea that Jewish people are not into money is ridiculous. That’s like saying Italians aren’t into pizza.”
The Anti-Defamation League writes that, “One of the most prominent and persistent stereotypes about Jews is that they are greedy and avaricious, hoping to make themselves rich by any means.”
These stereotypes have existed since at least the middle ages, during times when Christian rulers placed economic restrictions on Jewish people. The ADL reports that this stereotype remains extremely prevalent despite the fact, despite American Jews representing the highest-earning religious group in the US as a whole, half of American Jewish households earn less than $99,000 a year and 31 percent earn less than $49,000 (according to a 2016 Pew research report).
UFC 284 isn’t the first time Rogan will miss a broadcast after a controversy over something said on The Joe Rogan Experience.
Last year Rogan missed being part of the broadcast for UFC 271 in Houston, TX. A ‘scheduling conflict’ was cited as the reason for this.
That conflict came days after Rogan apologized for his repeated use of the n-word on his show. That came after a video compilation of him using the word was released and shared by a number of musicians who were protesting Rogan’s presence on Spotify.
Despite not being there for UFC 284, Rogan will likely continue to appear on UFC broadcasts in the near future.
Who is fighting at UFC 284?
UFC 284 is headlined by a UFC lightweight title fight with Islam Makhachev defending his title against UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanosvki. The co-main is for the vacant UFC featherweight title, contested by Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett.
Full PPV fight card:
- Islam Makhachev vs. Alexnader Volkanovski
- Yair Rodriguez vs. Josh Emmett
- Jack Della Maddalena vs. Randy Brown
- Justin Tafa vs. Parker Porter
- Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield
About the author: Tim Bissell is a writer, editor and deputy site manager for Bloody Elbow. He has covered combat sports since 2015. Tim covers news and events and has also written longform and investigative pieces. (full bio)