When it comes to longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan, Dana White is ride or die.
Before becoming a multi-millionaire courtesy of his popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, the former Fear Factor host grew a passionate fan following as a color commentator for the UFC. Making his promotional debut at UFC 12 all the way back in 1997, Rogan has been part of the organization longer than White, who took over as president in 2001. However, it wasn’t until UFC 37.5 in June 2002 that Rogan would get the opportunity to sit at the commentary table.
Joe Rogan appeared on a UFC broadcast for the first time on this date in 1997 at UFC 12.
These are Rogan’s first words on the broadcast.#UFC
— JReal (@BloodyCanvasJon) February 7, 2020
According to White, Rogan worked multiple events for free as he was actively working to make the promotion profitable.
“It’s a fact that he doesn’t care about money and he did the first 13 shows free for us,” White told Lex Fridman. “That was at a time when we were hurting and he was like, ‘Wait a minute. You want me to do the commentary? You’re saying I get to sit in the best seat in the house and watch these fights for free? Yeah, I’m in.’ Then, obviously, when he turned things around, we made it up to Joe, but Joe is one of the things I loved early about [the UFC].”
White went on to reveal how Rogan became part of the UFC, explaining that after he himself had taken over as president of the organization, White was digging through VHS tapes the promotion had on hand — one of them featuring an interview with Rogan on The Keenan Ivory Wayans Show. During his interview, all Rogan did was talk about UFC fighters and how they would massacre Hollywood tough guys like Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal.
It was all White needed to recognize that Rogan deserved a shot with the UFC.
“When he’s on camera, Joe Rogan does not come off as a paid talking head. He comes off as a guy who loves this [sport],” White added.
Dana White Threatened to Resign as Calls to ‘Cancel’ Joe Rogan Grew Louder
In 2022, things nearly turned disastrous for Rogan after multiple clips of him using racial slurs emerged online. As music artists pulled their music from Spotify — who had an exclusive deal with Rogan at the time — and calls for him to be “canceled” grew louder, Dana White stood by Rogan and even threatened to resign from the promotion if forced to give Rogan the boot.
“Anybody who is with me, has been with me, knows,” White said. “When you’re with me, you’re with me. It’s a two-way street. It’s not a one-way street. I’m not one of these guys that is gonna roll over.
“It’s like going through COVID. I wasn’t laying [off] any of these people,” he continued. “Some of these people have been with me for 20 years. We’re gonna lay ‘em off? Uh uh. This motherf*cker will burn, burn before I would do that to my people. It’s just never — none of that type of stuff is ever going to happen while I’m here. I can’t say what’s gonna happen when I leave, but when I’m here, the people who are with me and have been with me they know exactly what’s up, and Joe knows what’s up. It’s a two-way street. Joe Rogan has been very loyal to me, and I am very loyal to Joe Rogan.”
Watch the full episode below:
