UFC CEO Dana White shares a profound and unbreakable bond with the renowned comedian and UFC color commentator Joe Rogan. This friendship goes beyond the professional realm, evident in White’s unwavering support for Rogan.
White was particularly happy about Rogan’s lucrative multi-million dollar deal with Spotify. On the other hand, Rogan even expressed his willingness to step away from commentary duties if White were to leave the UFC.
Though distinct in their personalities, White and Rogan share common ground as believers of free speech. In a recent appearance on the Games with Names podcast hosted by former Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman, White expressed his deep respect and admiration for Rogan.
The UFC CEO shared a heartfelt sentiment:Â “Joe Rogan did like the first 12 or 13 shows for free. He said, ‘f*ck yeah, I’ll come there and do it and sit in the best seats in the house and everything else.’ So Joe and I have been super close friends for a very long time. I would do anything for Joe Rogan.”
Rogan did UFC’s commentary for free during a period of low UFC revenue. Dana White said that the Fertitta brothers lost $40 million prior to the organization turning a profit.
Rogan’s contribution to the UFC extends back to his early days, having started as a backstage interviewer before transitioning to commentary during UFC 11.
Julian Edelman spoke extensively about UFC in his podcast appearance with Dana White. Edelman held White’s contribution to mixed martial arts in high regard.
White was asked to list his best three UFC bouts by Edelman on the show. He selected Ronda Rousey vs Holly Holm, Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Conor McGregor, and Alexander Gustafsson versus Jon Jones. The Jon Jones vs. Gustafsson match is already inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. In addition, the Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor bout set many records and continues to be the UFC’s best-selling pay-per-view event.