Joe Rogan is not a fan of win bonuses in the UFC or any other MMA promotion.
Rogan hasn’t been shy in expressing his views on a number of topics. Of course, one of those topics is MMA. From the 12-6 elbow rule to eye pokes, Rogan has weighed in on many issues in combat sports.
Joe Rogan Isn’t A Fan Of Win Bonuses
During an edition of his JRE podcast, Rogan told Josh Barnett, who was a guest on the show, that he doesn’t support win bonuses in MMA. One of the reasons he pointed to was fighters being the victim of incompetent judging (via BJPenn.com).
“That win bonus, I do not like,” Rogan said emphatically. “I have said this from the beginning, I just don’t think it’s fair. First of all, if you’re going to do a win bonus, you need to do something about the judging. You need to have a better scoring system, and you need to get rid of incompetence.”
Rogan mentioned that the other problem he sees with win bonuses is that it often forces fighters to use conservative strategies to increase their chances of getting the extra pay. The UFC color commentator said fans have seen enough fights where someone takes their opponent down and does just enough offense so the referee doesn’t force the fight to return to the feet. He blames win bonuses for this strategy, at least partially.
Fighters such as Bellator heavyweight Matt Mitrione have also spoken out on win bonuses. Mitrione has called a split purse “ignorant” and claims it only serves as a way for promoters to save money while dangling a carrot in front of fighters. He also agrees that win bonuses can change the strategy of fighters, making for less exciting bouts.
What is your stance on win bonuses? Does it hurt the fighters and fans?
