The well-known podcaster, comedian, actor, and former television presenter Joe Rogan, who has been the part of the commentary team in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) from past two decades, has revealed shocking detail from his contract.
Joe Rogan is one of the longest-tenured employee in the UFC as he debuted as a backstage interviewer at UFC 12: Judgement Day in 1997. Although, the 55-year-old feature in less events these days, he has not suggested to break-off his association with the UFC anytime soon.
Recently, Rogan talked about the impact of UFC president Dana White on his contract with the MMA promotion company. While talking on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan told film producer Jon Peters, "I’m a professional fan. If Dana leaves, I’m gone. That’s in my contract."
Joe Rogan is still the lead commentator for the UFC’s domestic pay-per-views. He launched his podcast in 2009 and garnered a lot of success through The Joe Rogan Experience. In 2020, Rogan signed one of the most popular deal in the world with the audio streaming and media service provider, Spotify valued around $100 million for his podcast.
Dana White also appreciated Rogan for helping the UFC grow with an amazing pace and revealed that the commentator worked for free initially. White told Barstool Sports, "Part of the reason we’ve grown so fast is because Rogan’s ability to walk you through what’s going on while it’s happening. He’s brilliant, he’s so good, and he’s so passionate about the sport.
"This is not a guy who is just there for the paycheck, this is a guy who loves this stuff. We didn’t pay Rogan the first 12 events he worked, he did them for free."