UFC President Dana White Reveals He Was Pressured to Fire Joe Rogan

UFC commentator Joe Rogan typically brings about strong reactions from the general public.

Rogan, who's also a stand-up comic and hosts "The Joe Rogan Experience" - one of the most-listened to podcasts in the country - is a polarizing figure. Known for his strong political opinions and freewheeling demeanor, fans either love or hate Rogan - there's rarely any in between.

Because of his growing platform and ability to influence public opinion, Rogan has rubbed some people the wrong way. And according to UFC president Dana White, he's been pressured multiple times to fire Rogan because of his controversial nature.

"In Rogan's rise, he's gone through some [expletive] personally too," White told host David Senra on the "Founders" podcast. "I've had people call - whether it's sponsors or whoever - and say, ‘Hey, you got to do this to Rogan' and I'm like, ‘Don't ever [expletive] call me; who the [expletive] are you to call me and tell me who I'm going to fire or do whatever to?'

"… To actually explain to people how much Rogan has dedicated [to the UFC]…he has been a key instrumental part of this company, and for anybody - I don't give a [expletive] how much money you have sponsored or whatever - yeah, no. Nothing is happening to Joe Rogan."

Why It Matters

Rogan rose to prominence as the host of the popular television program "Fear Factor" back in the early 2000s.

During that time, Rogan began speaking publicly about his love for mixed martial arts, which was when White admitted he knew he had to have Rogan do commentary for the UFC after he and the Fertitta brothers bought the company in an attempt to save it from bankruptcy.

"This is the [expletive] guy I need right here," White added. "I need him to do commentary - he's educated on martial arts, he's not afraid to talk about controversial [expletive] - this is my guy. I reached out to Rogan, and we hit it off immediately."

Rogan has since come under fire in recent years for his controversial opinions on COVID and the vaccine, his criticism of the government, and having equally controversial guests on his podcast like Alex Jones.

The internet has tried to cancel Rogan several times, but given his large audience and support from White and his standing with the UFC, his popularity hasn't suffered much at all.

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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 10:16 PM.