In a recent conversation on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, host Joe Rogan shared the surprising financial reality behind his early departure from the UFC in the late 1990s. Speaking with former MMA champion Mark Kerr, Rogan disclosed that his initial stint with the organization was actually a money-losing venture rather than a profitable career opportunity.
Rogan’s journey with the UFC began in 1997 through a connection between his manager Jeff and Campbell McLaren, who was looking for someone to conduct backstage and post-bout interviews.
“Campbell McLaren… was good friends with my manager Jeff and they were just talking and he said, ‘We need a guy to do backstage interviews, post-fight interviews,'” Rogan explained. The opportunity seemed perfect for the lifelong martial arts enthusiast who had been following matches in Japan and was genuinely passionate about the sport.
However, what began as a dream job quickly became a financial burden. “It wasn’t a lot of money, but it was for me. It was just for fun. It was like I was a giant fan of the sport,” Rogan recalled. Despite his love for mixed martial arts, the practical realities of working for the early UFC were harsh. “It was actually costing me money, which is why I wind up quitting because I quit and I did it for like a year and a half, two years maybe. And then in 98, I was like, I can’t do this anymore. I’m just… it’s just actually costing me money.”
This financial strain forced Rogan to make a difficult decision between his passion and his livelihood. The UFC of the late 1990s was vastly different from today’s billion-dollar enterprise. The organization was struggling financially, with limited resources and minimal compensation for its talent, including commentators and interviewers. For someone like Rogan, who needed to maintain his comedy career and other income streams, the UFC commitment was proving unsustainable.
The timing of Rogan’s departure proved fortuitous in an unexpected way. After leaving the UFC in 1998, he landed the hosting job on Fear Factor, which became a massive hit and significantly improved his financial situation. It was during this period of financial stability that Zuffa Entertainment purchased the UFC, setting the stage for the organization’s eventual transformation into a major sports entertainment powerhouse.
“When I started doing Fear Factor, that’s when Zuffa bought it. I wound up working for them again,” Rogan noted. This second opportunity with the UFC came at a time when both Rogan and the organization were in vastly different positions.
The new ownership brought fresh investment and vision, while Rogan’s success with Fear Factor had given him the financial freedom to pursue his passion for mixed martial arts commentary without the economic pressures that had forced his earlier departure.
What was once a niche sport struggling to find its audience and compensate its participants fairly has evolved into a global phenomenon generating hundreds of millions in revenue.
