While talking with Ariel Helwani for “The MMA Hour” at MMAFighting.com recently, longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan made it clear he would be hanging up his headset if the company were to be sold, as has been rumored in recent weeks.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Rogan elaborated on his previous comments about potentially walking away from his job as commentator for the UFC, something he still might do when his current contract with the company expires in August.
“I’m not working for anybody else. If the sale goes through I’m outta there,” said Rogan in response to a recent rumor that UFC is currently up for sale. “I’m already wondering whether or not I can continue doing this as it is. I will always be a fan, I’ll always love it, but sh*t, I’ve been working for the UFC on and off for almost 20 years. And that’s more than I’ve done anything in my life. I’d like to move on.”
Rogan continued, “The only other thing I’ve done longer than that is stand-up comedy, but you know, with stand-up comedy I’m constantly writing new material, I’m traveling, I do it out of my schedule, I do it whenever I want,” added Rogan. You know, it’s a very different thing calling fights rather than just being a fan. I’ll always be a fan, for sure, but as far as calling fights…boy, I don’t see that going on very much longer.”
During the interview, Rogan, a fight-fan at heart, also gave his take on the ongoing rumors about a potential boxing match between reigning UFC Featherweight Champion “The Notorious” Conor McGregor and former boxing pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“If it does happen, I’ll be shocked,” said Rogan. “I mean, if that’s what they’re meeting about, if Conor says, “I can make a lot of money,” and they get together and they decide they’re gonna make 100 million bucks, who knows? I mean, maybe the UFC co-promotes it with Floyd Mayweather and Conor goes in there and gets lit up, and then says, “Hey, I realize this is not my sport, I gotta go back to MMA,” then that’s possible too. I just can’t imagine a world where he’s quitting.”
