The long-simmering tension between Ronda Rousey and Joe Rogan has erupted once more, this time drawing support for the UFC commentator from an unexpected corner.
Former UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko has publicly defended Rogan following Rousey’s pointed criticism of his martial arts credentials and expertise.
Rousey appeared on The Bertcast Podcast with comedian Bert Kreischer, where she delivered sharp words about Rogan’s qualifications to analyze mixed martial arts.
The former UFC bantamweight champion made her position clear, stating: “He’s not an expert. He’s a fan with an audience. He never fought.”
When host Kreischer mentioned Rogan’s background in Taekwondo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the 38-year-old Olympic medalist was quick to dismiss those accomplishments, adding: “That’s not fighting.”
In response to the controversy, Shevchenko took to social media to express her support for the longtime UFC commentator. “I see Joe Rogan as huge expert of Martial Arts, noble man, hunter, sportsman, and good example for youth!” the accomplished fighter wrote, offering a starkly different perspective from Rousey’s assessment.
The roots of this feud stretch back to the peak and subsequent decline of Rousey’s MMA career. Rogan was once among her most vocal supporters, famously calling her “one of the best fighters alive” and even suggesting she could compete successfully against half of the men’s bantamweight division.
However, following her devastating knockout loss to Holly Holm in 2015 and subsequent defeat to Amanda Nunes in 2016, Rogan reconsidered his earlier statements on The Joe Rogan Experience, acknowledging: “I shouldn’t have said it at the time. Now it’s definitely not true.”
For Rousey, who retired from MMA in 2016, this shift in narrative felt like a betrayal. Speaking on The Chris Cuomo Project podcast in 2024, she expressed her disappointment with how quickly the MMA community turned against her. “It was disappointing to see people like Joe Rogan, who once cried about calling my fights, turn on me so fast,” she said.
The former champion went further, claiming that after her retirement, the MMA media completely abandoned her. “Not a single person has called me,” Rousey revealed. “They just said I was making excuses.”
Drawing a contrast with her later career in professional wrestling, Rousey highlighted what she sees as a fundamental difference in how the two combat sports treat their pioneers. “In WWE, people respect their legends,” she explained. “But in MMA, once you lose, they say you were never good.”
During the recent Bertcast episode, when Kreischer playfully asked what it would take for her to return to competition, Rousey laughed off the question, saying she would only consider a comeback for a billion dollars.
The exchange has predictably divided opinion across the martial arts community. Some fans have rallied behind Rousey, sympathizing with her perspective on how swiftly the sport discarded her after a pair of losses.
Others, like Shevchenko, have come to Rogan’s defense, pointing to his decades-long involvement in martial arts and his extensive knowledge of the sport he’s commentated for over two decades.
What remains clear is that Rousey’s complicated relationship with the MMA world continues to simmer years after her departure from the Octagon.
