Why did Joe Rogan leave the UFC in the late 1990s?
Joe Rogan briefly quit the UFC in the late 1990s due to payment issues.
The MMA promotion was banned in many places across the United States due to its violent nature. This resulted in the company hosting events in rural areas, which meant large amounts of travel for its employees.
The UFC didn't make much money before being bought out by Zuffa, LLC. Joe Rogan had a pretty poor salary compared to his gigs as a stand-up comic. He left the MMA promotion after initially serving as a post-fight and backstage interviewer.
Once Dana White became the president of the organization, he tried re-hiring Rogan. White wasn't able to pay him any money due to the financial state of UFC back then. He offered Rogan and his friends free tickets to shows instead.
In the end, White was able to convince Joe Rogan to commit to the UFC as a full-time color commentator. The UFC is the world's biggest MMA promotion right now.
Many current and former UFC commentators, presenters, interviewers and analysts have looked up to Rogan and openly expressed their admiration for him.
@Vernon_Go @joerogan @ufc 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Joe is a legend so if I can be half as good as him I’ll be happy!
Joe Rogan is also a successful podcast host outside of the UFC.
Joe Rogan missed UFC 266 due to his annual fishing trip
Joe Rogan hasn't appeared in the UFC since the culmination of the trilogy between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor in July.
He was busy with his comedy tours and had to skip several UFC events. Since then, he has tested positive for COVID-19 and recovered.
Now, Joe Rogan has given UFC 266 a miss due to his annual fishing trip.
Former UFC lightweight fighter Paul Felder takes Rogan's place at the commentary desk alongside Jon Anik and Daniel Cormier at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.