Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO, Dana White, is extremely loyal to those who helped grow the promotion from the ground up and this includes long-time color commentator, Joe Rogan.
It’s no secret that Rogan has been one of the most recognizable voices in mixed martial arts (MMA) over the past 20 years. While Rogan is just as popular in the world of podcasts he has a special connection to UFC and fight fans. He’s been part of the promotion from the early days and White holds Rogan in the highest
regard because of it.
That said, Rogan is not perfect. The outspoken comedian and podcast host has said some fairly controversial things over the years, including discussions about politics and vaccinations. This has caused some backlash over the years and has even resulted in some powerful people reaching out to White in effort to get Rogan fired.
Unfortunately for them, White will never part ways with Rogan and is ready to go to battle with anyone asking him to.
“In Rogan’s rise, he’s gone through some stuff personally too. I’ve had people call and say you gotta do this to Rogan,” said White in a recent interview (shown above).
“I’m like, don’t ever call me. Who the hell are you to call me and tell me who I’m going to fire?
“Joe Rogan did the first 12 fights for us for free. When we bought this company, the only two who were any good on radio were me and Joe Rogan, but nobody knew who I was. We’d get up at 3:00 in the morning, get dropped into East Coast markets, and do the same interviews over and over. Rogan and I did this for years.
“He’s been a key, instrumental part of this company. And for anybody, I don’t give a damn how much money you have, or sponsor, or whatever. Nothing’s happening to Joe Rogan.
“Loyalty. It’s the most important thing in the world to me.”
