Besides the larger-than-life personalities like Conor McGregor and Jon Jones, what is the one other name that comes to your mind when you talk about the UFC? The answer most probably will be Joe Rogan screaming at the top of his lungs out of excitement. However, one might be surprised to know that Rogan did not even get paid during his early days in the UFC.
UFC CEO Dana White recently got down to the Flagrant podcast where he talked about Rogan’s response when he first approached him with an offer. Speaking to Andrews Schulz, White detailed the events one by one on how he came across Joe Rogan going off talking about UFC 1 on a talk show. Seeing the martial artist talk about the sport got the CEO to reach out to him.
“I reached out to Rogan and I said I’d love you to come in and be one of the commentators and Rogan’s attitude was ‘so, wait a minute, so you’re saying I can come over there sit in the best seat of the house and watch the sport that I love for f**king free? I’m in!'”
Before he came into the UFC, Joe Rogan was a popular name for television audiences owing to his presence in the reality show Fear Factor. Despite that, White gave it a shot and called him with an offer. For the popular commentator, it was the opportunity of a lifetime that couldn’t wait. He took it and the rest is history.
White even said that owing to the financial constrictions of the promotion at that time, Rogan did a dozen shows for free! He said,
“Joe Rogan did the first 12 or 13 shows for free, for free and he killed it!”
Speaking about his buddy, the UFC head honcho got livid and assured his unanimous support to the veteran commentator despite the new cancel culture that threatened him.
Dana White blasts cancel culture, ushering full support to Joe Rogan
Now, what makes Joe Rogan the best in his respective field is his passion for the sport. Being a martial artist and a renowned Taekwondo practitioner, Rogan loves martial arts! His authentic commentary in the UFC and his technical know-how of the sport just complimented him and made him a heartthrob amongst the MMA community just like that.
However, owing to his honest ways, Rogan has been criticized by the far left for his conservative stances. Being a voice for the traditionalists out there, Rogan was threatened with being canceled online. Reflecting on this, White voiced his thoughts, saying,
“You think that you’re going to f**king cancel Joe Rogan and I’m going to say okay? No, I will f**king quit this job and leave and go do something else.”
Dropping a bunch of f-bombs, the UFC head blasted the new gen era of canceling people, essentially saying that the only people who can cancel you are your family and friends and not a bunch of nobodies and strangers who have nothing to do with your life.
