During episode 180 of the JRE MMA Show, Joe Rogan sat down with welterweight contender Daniel Rodriguez and briefly turned the conversation toward the upcoming UFC event on the White House lawn.
Rogan kicked off the topic by noting Rodriguez’s connection to the event.
“You know what would have been crazy if you were on the White House card,” Rogan said.
After Rodriguez responded enthusiastically, Rogan explained that while he found the concept exciting, he also understood why it had sparked strong reactions.
“I wish it was inside, but it is going to be crazy,” he said.
Rogan then pointed to the polarized public response surrounding the event.
“It’s so funny watching people lose their mind over it, you know, in all sorts of different ways,” he said. “Lose their mind over it because they h ate the political situation in this country. Lose their mind over it because they feel like it’s a waste of money. Why they spending so much money? This country’s in debt. We got problems. Why are we having a fig ht?”
At the same time, he acknowledged that many fans have embraced the idea.
“And then other people are like, ‘F**k yeah,'” Rogan continued. “I mean, there’s no more American thing than having a UFC event on the White House lawn. It’s so America. It’s so Trump. It’s so crazy.”
While Rogan praised the quality of the card, he repeatedly returned to one concern: the challenges of holding championship matches outdoors.
“Oh, card’s incredible,” he said. “The only thing that bothers me is that it’s outside and that these guys are competing for world titles.”
Rogan specifically highlighted lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and what he believes could be a historic career trajectory.
“I mean, Ilia Topuria might be not just one of the best right now. He might be one of the best that ever did it,” Rogan said. “It’s very possible that he goes down in history as the all-time. I mean, he’s so good.”
For that reason, Rogan questioned whether an outdoor environment was the ideal setting for a title defense. “And for him to have to defend his title, the world title outside with bugs and humidity and heat,” he said.
Weather conditions were another major concern.
“It could rain. It could thunderstorm. Who knows?” Rogan said. “It’s DC. It’s the East Coast in the middle of the summer. I mean, it’s crazy to have an event outside in June in DC.”
He also discussed the issue of insects, explaining that he had been researching possible solutions online.
“I just hope it doesn’t rain. I hope they figure out a way to deal with the bugs, too,” Rogan said.
Later in the discussion, the conversation shifted to President Donald Trump posting images of a drone setup at the venue. Rogan responded with his observation.
“Oh, if anybody’s going to do it, it’s Trump,” he said.
Throughout the exchange, Rogan largely avoided taking a hard stance.
