Joe Rogan shared a somber story about the UFC’s behind-the-scenes efforts to save an Iranian wrestler’s life by reaching out to the highest office in the United States.
During a recent episode of the JRE podcast featuring comedian Joey Diaz, Rogan discussed the tragic case of Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old Iranian wrestler who was executed on September 12, 2020, despite international appeals for clemency.
“It’s a religious-run country, it’s a dictatorship,” Rogan explained during the conversation. “They executed an Olympic gold medallist in wrestling. UFC even tried to get them to stop. They tried to get Trump to get him to somehow or the other talk to Iran and not kill this guy.”
Afkari had been convicted of murdering a security guard during anti-government protests in Shiraz in 2018. However, he consistently maintained his innocence, claiming his confession was obtained under torture. Leaked audio recordings from prison substantiated his claims of severe mistreatment and captured his pleas for a fair trial.
UFC President Dana White was particularly moved by Afkari’s case and took extraordinary measures to try to intervene.
“I called the president and I told him about it,” White had told media at the time. “The first thing he said to me was, ‘There’s already sanctions against them, and there’s just no recourse.’ But he still said, ‘Let me see what I can do.'”
Former President Donald Trump did respond publicly, posting a message on social media asking Iran to spare Afkari’s life. According to White, Trump also worked through diplomatic channels behind the scenes, though ultimately these efforts proved unsuccessful.
“At no point during this process did it look good… but I tried,” White had said.
The UFC honored Afkari’s memory by opening UFC Vegas 10 with a tribute to the wrestler. The moment was so emotional that fighter Bobby Green, who won his match that night, was unable to complete his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping after learning of the execution.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, condemned the execution as a “travesty of justice,” pointing to the lack of due process in Afkari’s case. The Iranian judiciary dismissed allegations of torture and carried out the execution without prior notice to his family or legal counsel.
The discussion between Rogan and Diaz highlighted not just the tragedy of Afkari’s case, but also the sometimes unexpected diplomatic roles that sports organizations like the UFC can find themselves playing in international human rights issues.
