Renowned podcaster Joe Rogan revealed a surprising tale during a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience. He talked about a supposed MMA face-off between him and actor Wesley Snipes. The story unravels a compelling narrative that almost culminated in a sanctioned MMA bout.
Between 1990 and 2000, Wesley Snipes left a mark on the silver screen with his notable roles. He was particularly known for his lead portrayal in the Blade trilogy. Despite substantial earnings, the acclaimed American actor grappled with severe legal trouble due to overwhelming tax debts.
Snipes started searching for easy methods to make money in 2010 so he could pay off his debt. This led to surprising negotiations for an MMA bout with Joe Rogan. The podcaster is a seasoned jiu-jitsu practitioner and has been adept in taekwondo and kickboxing since his formative years.
In a recent edition of the Joe Rogan Experience, the renowned podcaster and UFC analyst shared his thoughts about almost facing Snipes.
“I was supposed to fight Wesley Snipes. That was real. There was lawyers in negotiation. I was training twice a day for six months. That was f*cking hard. I was so tired all the time, and I only got a taste of what it’s like to train like an MMA fighter.”
“I was training knowing that the fight was eventually going to take place, so I was building up a base. So, I was kickboxing every morning and then I was doing jiu-jitsu every night. I was doing it for six months.”
Joe Rogan has never engaged in combat in an official mixed martial arts match. Having said that, he has shown his formidable kicking prowess and black belt jiu-jitsu talents, which may pose a threat to an inexperienced opponent such as Wesley Snipes.
Rogan candidly expressed on his podcast that Snipes potentially reconsidered the match due to newfound realizations about Rogan’s martial arts prowess.
He continued: “I think because he knew I was going to kill him. I think in the beginning he thought that he would be able to stuff takedowns, and he would kick my a*s. Then he found out, no, I’m a taekwondo champion, and I’m a kickboxer. I’m way better at standing up than I am on the ground.”
Rogan also shed light on the negotiations’ twists, revealing fluctuating terms and demands. He said: “I don’t know what happened, but there was a bunch of different demands. At first, it was going to be 50/50 and then he wanted to be 60/40, and I’d agreed to everything.”
“Finally, it was like, okay, give me just this amount of money and give him whatever else the f*ck you want. I’m like, I’m going to f*cking strangle that guy, let me get a hold of him. It never happened.”
Snipes veered away from the potential showdown but couldn’t escape his legal problems. He served a 28-month federal prison sentence, finally regaining freedom in April 2013. After release, Snipes resumed his career and continued acting on both television and movie screens.