Long-time UFC color-caller, Joe Rogan has come under fire this week on social media, amid an apparent lack of knowledge over the striking arsenal of heavyweight champion, Jon Jones.
Rogan, who has called the majority of the Rochester native’s fights in the promotion, was on call as Jones headlined UFC 309 at the tail end of last November to retain his portion of the divisional crown.
And doing so in dramatic fashion, Jones made light work of the retiring Stipe Miocic in their rescheduled title fight at Madison Square Garden. Launching a spectacular third-round spinning back-kick to the body, TKO win over the Ohio veteran, Jones lodged his sophomore win at the weight limit.
However, gushing over Jones’ performance and legacy during a recent podcast with Ilia Topuria, Rogan put his proverbial foot in his mouth. Claiming Jones had made it to the depths of his career without developing that exact technique, the East Coast veteran was more than impressed — To say the least.
“Jon Jones one of the greatest of all time,” Rogan said in the clip.
“He’s the best — look, the guy developed a spinning back kick at 36. Didn’t have a spinning back kick his whole career, and all of a sudden knocks out Stipe (Miocic) with a spinning back kick for the heavyweight title at 36 37 years old. That’s crazy,” Rogan claimed, surprised.
However, on social media, fans and critics were quick to point out Rogan’s mistake.
In the same edit, footage shows Jones repeatedly hammering that same kick to the likes of Anthony Smith, Daniel Cormier, and even Brazilian pair, Lyoto Machida, and Glover Teixeira — very early into his light heavyweight run.
To boot, fans have called for Rogan to hang up his microphone. “The day Joe Rogan retires from UFC commentary will be a glorious day for the sport,” A user posted on X.
The day Joe Rogan retires from UFC commentary will be a glorious day for the sport pic.twitter.com/diJiVLtVHb
— Martys Hairline 2.0 (@MmaUnderdogz) May 27, 2025
And as far as another fan is concerned, Rogan is well past his sell-by date in the booth.
“For the last 3 years, Joe (Rogan) has been awful on commentary,” they posted, referring to the mistakes, lack of genuine research, poor insights, and favoritism by the UFC commentator.
For the last 3 years Joe has been awful on commentary
— DaegleMMA (@DeagleMMA) May 28, 2025
A third user even went as far as to claim the UFC would be much better off with Rogan far from the Octagon-side and said, “If Dana (White) quits Joe said he’s quitting, too. So Dana please retire so we don’t have to have both these brain-dead f*cks ruining this organization.”
That final claim is true, in fact — Rogan’s days may be numbered.
Rogan reveals UFC retirement plan
Admitting just last month how he has no immediate plans to retire, Rogan envisions a definitive end to his career on the microphone, however.
“I just enjoy it[commentating]. I don’t think about retiring, no,” Rogan said on the same podcast. However, his tenure might be cut short should the UFC boss find himself locked out of the promotion.
“If Dana White quits, I might quit, but that’s it. It’s actually in my contract. If he leaves, I leave. In my contract, if he leaves, I don’t have to stay,” he told Topuria.
“I wouldn’t be doing it if it weren’t for him,” Rogan explained, adding, “He’s my friend. He talked me into doing it. I started working for the UFC in 1997 when it was nothing, nobody was watching then.”
Notably, at the time, Rogan is said to have done a few events for free, purely because he could watch the fights from the best seats in the house.
