Joe Rogan recently spoke about Jon Jones’ ongoing situation with the UFC, highlighting both his health and his stance on future fights. Jones has been involved in a pay dispute with the promotion, seeking fair compensation after negotiations for the White House card reportedly didn’t meet his expectations. Rogan shared his perspective during a podcast with Dustin Poirier, offering insight into Jones’ physical condition and his desire to continue fighting.
Jones’ Hip Treatment and Readiness to Fight
Rogan revealed that Jones has undergone stem cell treatment for his arthritic hip and emphasized that it hasn’t stopped him from competing.
“He doesn’t want to be done,” Rogan said. “I know he got stem cells in his hip. I know because I helped him get it. He’s talked about it, I wouldn’t have talked about it but he talked about it. He got it at Ways2Well.”
Rogan noted that while Jones’ hip can bother him, it isn’t enough to prevent him from performing at the highest level.
“He’s feeling a lot better, he does have arthritis in his hip, it bothers him, but it doesn’t bother him enough that he can’t fight. And he’s the greatest of all time. Period.”
Joe Rogan says he helped Jon Jones get stem cell treatment for his hip 💉🦴
“Jon got stem cells on his hip because I helped him get it. I wouldn’t have talked about it, but he talked about it. He’s feeling a lot better. He does have arthritis in his hip, it bothers him, but it… pic.twitter.com/UyJEE4KbJ8
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) March 17, 2026
Fighter Compensation in the UFC
The discussion also turned to the ongoing debate about fighter pay. Rogan has consistently advocated for higher earnings for UFC athletes, drawing a comparison to how performers in other industries are compensated.
“I’ve always been of the opinion that fighters should be making more money, period,” Rogan said. “The way I run my comedy clubs, the comedians make 80% of the money. I feel like that’s who we’re paying to see. You’re paying to see them. We make plenty of money with drinks and 20% of the ticket sales. It’s enough. If we had a comedy club and there were no comedians, nobody’s coming, right? Nobody’s coming there just to sit and buy drinks.”
Rogan stressed that the primary draw of UFC events is the fighters themselves.
“The whole idea is they’re paying to see someone’s work,” he said. “If you fight, that’s what people are paying to see. They are paying to see fighters.”
The Impact of Ronda Rousey’s Criticism
While Rogan is not publicly attacking the UFC like Rousey, he acknowledged the value of her statements on fighter compensation.
“She had this big long speech about the UFC Paramount deal for $7 billion, and these fighters aren’t making enough money,” he said. “Look, she made some good points. The most important thing is she gets the conversation out there, and it puts pressure on the UFC to pay people more.”
Whether the UFC will meet Jones’ expectations remains to be seen, but for now, Rogan insists the fighter is not ready to step away from the sport.
