Joe Rogan has addressed past criticism from former UFC champion Ronda Rousey, explaining that he views himself simply as “a fan with an audience” rather than an expert whose opinions should be taken as gospel.
During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience with comedian Jeff Dye, the topic of Rousey’s previous comments surfaced.
Rousey had once criticized Rogan for his commentary during her match, particularly after her devastating losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. She took issue with what she perceived as Rogan questioning her abilities while she was competing.
Rogan responded to the discussion with characteristic humility and understanding. “I mean, I know what that is,” he said. “She’s a f**king pitbull, man. That’s the type of human.”
Rather than taking offense, Rogan demonstrated empathy for Rousey’s champion mentality. “Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, you know, You got to understand why she thinks like that, cuz she’s a f**king… she has a champion mentality,” he explained. “You never fought, you ain’t s**t. You know, it’s like it’s real simple.”
Rogan went on to defend Rousey’s legacy extensively, calling her “a legitimate pioneer” who made women’s MMA possible in the UFC. “She made the UFC female division possible. If it wasn’t for her, Dana was very open about never having female UFC fighters,” he said.
Rogan also explained the context of his commentary that upset Rousey. During her match with Holly Holm, he was describing what was happening objectively—Rousey was losing badly.
“When you watch a fight and you’re watching you get your a*s kicked and the other person is talking about how great the other person is doing and how bad you’re doing, that doesn’t sit well with a lot of people, especially like someone who’s got that kind of champion mentality, that f**king pitbull mentality like, ‘I thought you were with me. F**k you.'”
The commentator emphasized that his perspective comes from genuine admiration. “I was a huge supporter and still am,” Rogan stated clearly. He praised Rousey’s judo skills, her armbar technique, and her role in breaking down barriers for female fighters.
Rogan also defended his post-fight analysis where he suggested Rousey should take extended time off after being knocked out by Holm. “When you get head kicked into the shadow realm, you’re supposed to take a long time off,” he explained, comparing it to how boxing coach Freddy Roach handled Manny Pacquiao’s knockout recovery.
The situation highlights an interesting dynamic in combat sports commentary. Rogan acknowledged that fighters at Rousey’s level operate with an “us versus them” mentality that drives their success.
“That’s why she was so good. And we’re lucky she’s a woman. If that lady was a man, she’d be Genghis Khan, okay? She’d f**king take over the world,” he said.
Ultimately, Rogan expressed no hard feelings about Rousey’s criticism. “The Ronda Rousey one didn’t really bother me,” he said. “It’s totally fine.”
