Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
Looks like Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) color commentator Joe Rogan is no longer in the dark.
According to a recent report by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto (shown below), Rogan is expected to commentate the upcoming UFC 249 event on May 9 in Jacksonville, Florida. With little room left due to COVID-19 restrictions, Rogan will be joined by only UFC play-by-play announcer Jon Anik, former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier, Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer and UFC reporter Megan Olivi.
As of right now, I’m told current broadcast team for UFC 249 is @Jon_Anik, @joerogan, @dc_mma, @MeganOlivi and @brucebuffer.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) April 24, 2020
While most of the UFC 249 crew was expected to be part of the festivities, fight fans were unsure if Rogan would make the trip to the event. That’s because the long-time UFC commentator revealed just a few weeks ago that he will not be calling the pay-per-view (PPV) card. Of course, that was before UFC was able to lock down an actual venue that will safely host the fan-less event.
Still, Rogan has been dropping hints along the way that he may not be part of the show. Just two weeks ago, the comedian was privy to zero information about UFC’s plans surrounding its future events. Rogan has admired UFC and president Dana White’s efforts to be the first major sports organization to re-open the proverbial doors, but that hasn’t provided the cageside commentator with any inside information.
Rogan knows as much as the rest of us.
Regardless of how we got here, it’s nice to know that the promotion is sending out its A Team for UFC 249. After all, it’s going to be a massive PPV event that should attract eager viewers from all over the world, from every single sports market. Having Rogan call the fights — without fan noise to boot — is the right move to make.
That said, given how volatile this entire situation has been over the past six weeks, anything can change in the next 14 days.
UFC 249 will be headlined by an interim lightweight title fight between top contenders Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje, while the co-main event features a bantamweight clash between current champion Henry Cejudo and former titleholder Dominick Cruz.