Joe Rogan Shares Contract Stipulation That’d Cause Him to Leave UFC

Getty Joe Rogan

Longtime color commentator Joe Rogan recently revealed that he’d be “gone” from the UFC if Dana White leaves the promotion.

Rogan has worked alongside White in the world’s largest mixed martial arts organization for over 20 years. And during episode No. 1871 of “The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast,” Rogan revealed to film producer Jon Peters that he wouldn’t work a day in the UFC without White running the show.

“Between the two of you, without compromising each other, you do a brilliant job,” Peters said, talking about Rogan and White. “If you left the show, I’d be very upset as a fan.”

“Well, if Dana leaves, I’m gone,” Rogan responded.

Rogan then revealed that White remaining UFC president is a part of his deal with the company. “That’s in my contract,” Rogan said.

White Credited Rogan for ‘Helping Build’ MMA, Also Heaped Praise Onto the Gracie Family

When White was interviewed on “THE FIGHT With Teddy Atlas” podcast last year, the UFC president praised Rogan for “helping build” mixed martial arts. But first, he pointed to the Gracie’s, the world-renowned Brazilian jiu-jitsu family, as bringing the sport to the “forefront.”

“It would be the Gracies,” White said. “The original UFC, the Gracies kicked that whole thing off with their style of jiu-jitsu and their style of fighting. And it caught the world’s imagination. And the other thing was, it added a whole new element to fighting. Because we had never seen people go to the ground and fight on the ground. And they could beat any opponent. Bigger, stronger, faster, no matter what the deal was, no matter what style it was, they figured out a way to beat you.”

“They introduced the world to ground fighting and Brazilian jiu-jitsu,” White continued.

The UFC president then turned his attention to Rogan. “Another guy who deserves a ton of credit for helping build this sport during our era is Joe Rogan. Because the reality is that when we got into this, everybody understood stand-up fighting no matter what happened. Punching, kicking, elbows, we all get that.

“The big thing for us was when it goes to the ground, how many people are really going to understand what’s going on and what they’re seeing if you’ve never done jiu-jitsu? You don’t know what the hell they’re doing. You know, the guy’s legs are on him, his arm is over here.

“Joe Rogan was, first of all, passionate about the sport, number one. Number two, so good at walking you through what was going on before it even started to happen. To have a guy like him behind the mic, he was very instrumental in helping build the sport.”

Rogan Only Commentates When the UFC Hosts a Pay-Per-View Event in the US

Rogan continues to work during US-based UFC pay-per-view events. He last sat at the commentary desk for UFC 279 on September 10, alongside fellow color commentator Daniel Cormier and play-by-play mainstay Jon Anik.

The next time fans will hear Rogan commentating on an event will likely be on November 12 when the promotion returns to Madison Square Garden in New York City for UFC 281.