Joe Rogan expressed scepticism about President Donald Trump’s bold claim that there will be eight to nine title fights at the upcoming UFC White House event during an episode of the JRE MMA Show with guest Brendan Allen.
The confusion began when Jamie, Rogan’s podcast producer, brought up Trump’s statement about the historic event scheduled for June 14th at the White House. Trump had announced that there would be eight to nine championship matches, with the UFC allegedly “withholding title fights right now” to make the event special.
Rogan immediately pointed out the mathematical impossibility of Trump’s claim. “There’s only eight weight classes. So how’s there going to be nine title fights?” he questioned.
The podcast host and his guest attempted to make sense of the numbers, with Allen suggesting the BMF title could account for an additional bout, but even that explanation seemed insufficient.
According to Trump’s statement, the event would feature an arena with 5,000 to 6,000 seats “right in the front door of the White House” with an additional 100,000 people in the back area watching on “eight or 10 very big screens.” The President claimed that UFC CEO Dana White was holding back matches for six months specifically for this event.
Rogan’s skepticism extended beyond just the number of fights. He raised practical concerns about the outdoor venue, questioning what would happen in case of rain or extreme heat and humidity in June.
“What if it’s hot and muggy? That’s going to affect people,” Rogan noted, referencing past outdoor MMA events that faced weather challenges.
The conversation shifted to historical outdoor matches, including a memorable “King of the Cage Wet and Wild” event where fighters competed in pouring rain, and outdoor boxing matches at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. These examples only reinforced Rogan’s concerns about the logistical challenges of hosting championship-level fights outdoors.
