The UFC’s rise to global fame hasn’t just been about flashy knockouts or big personalities—it’s the raw, unfiltered reality of the sport keeping viewers hooked. MMA stands out because it’s real and primal, and the consequences of every move play out right in front of your eyes. You can play soccer, basketball, even baseball—but you don’t play fighting. And that’s exactly the message Joe Rogan is doubling down on.
The longtime UFC commentator and podcast kingpin sounded off on the idea of “faking it” in MMA, warning that trying to bluff your way through this sport is a one-way ticket to disaster. In Rogan’s view, there’s no hiding once that cage door shuts—and if you’re not the real deal, it’s only a matter of time before you get exposed.
Rogan himself has been a martial artist all his life. Before he was hosting Fear Factor, the JRE host was knocking people out in Taekwondo. He would later become a disciple of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai.
It’s this love for combat sports, that he has been able to use to promote an obscure sport unable to get on live TV to one that is giving boxing a run for its money.
In the time that Rogan has been involved, combat sports have evolved massively. Training, nutrition, and overall understanding of every single discipline under the umbrella of MMA has improved leading to stronger, faster, and better fighters being produced… albeit with one constant- the danger remains the same.
While injuries, even ones that are potentially fatal or have long-term consequences are common across all sports, in the fight game, hurting one’s opponent is the primary goal, and therein lies the difference.
In a conversation with Chris Williamson, Rogan explained, “Martial arts demands that kind of focus. You can not pretend. There is no pretending you’re good, you have to be good. There is no pretending you’re fast, you have to be fast. You have to be perfect because you’re fighting against other trained killers.”
“You’re going to get hurt and I saw so many people get hurt”, he added.
While Rogan maintains that training and dedicating yourself to the craft is important, he feels it also helps to have a strong base in this certain discipline in order to improve your chances of success.
Rogan’s guide to UFC success
Rogan, primarily a striker himself in the prime of his fighting days, has time and again asserted the importance of having a good ground game to truly succeed in mixed martial arts at the highest level.
According to Rogan, a strong wrestling background allows fighters to control the pace and dictate the direction in which the fight moves.
The UFC commentator has often pointed out that while striking skills are vital, the capacity to neutralize an opponent’s offense through effective wrestling techniques can significantly shift the balance in a match.
“There’s no real one discipline that will work best in MMA. You have to know everything”, he explains. “But if I were to say what discipline is the most important, I will say wrestling“, Rogan continues.
“Because if you can’t keep a guy from taking you down, he’s going to be on top of you, he’s going to hold you down, he’s going to punch you in the face. It’s a giant advantage“, Rogan points out.
But this is only the beginning. Fighters must also understand and practice jiu-jitsu because that allows downed opponents to submit a fighter on top of them.
Obviously, MMA has a huge umbrella, under which every fighting style can co-exist with another. There are countless permutations and combinations of these disciplines a fighter can acquire to succeed.
What do you think is the best discipline? Do you with agree with Rogan on wrestling? Do let us know.
