Earlier this year, UFC fight analyst Joe Rogan said he would leave the company as a cageside commentator if it was sold to an outside investor.
A couple of weeks ago, it was announced that UFC was indeed sold for a cool $4 billion. While there are many things currently on the UFC agenda – from the details of the sale to star fighters like Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar failing drug tests – there had to be some fans wondering if Rogan hold true to his word and depart the company that he’s been a central voice for since 2002.
The answer to the Rogan dilemma is no. Or perhaps more accurately, at least a not yet.
Rogan revealed on his podcast that he would sign for one more year with UFC but no longer travel internationally to cover fights.
Via Bloody Elbow:
Joe Rogan announced today that he has re-signed with the UFC for an additional year. He made the announcement on his podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience, after his guest, UFC Featherweight Jeremy Stephens, questioned him on his standing with the UFC.
“I signed for at least one more year. I was on the fence man, I just do too much s—. I’m too f—ing busy. I don’t know if I’m doing myself or all the other things I do a disservice,” Rogan said.
The news comes weeks after the $4 billion sale of the UFC to WME-IMG. In May, Rogan said that if the UFC sold he would 100% leave the company. But, now that the sale is done, Rogan talked about his back and forth thought process that ultimately led to his decision to continue with the UFC when he thought he wouldn’t. The deal was eventually made with some alterations to his role as a commentator.
“I had a conversation with Dana, we had a bunch of conversations. What I decided to do was no more international travel. No more flying across the planet.”
Names like Brian Stann, Dan Hardy, and Kenny Florian were tossed out by Rogan as potential fill-ins for when he doesn’t travel with the UFC overseas.
It’s a solution that makes sense for both parties. Rogan gets to cut back on an insane work schedule that sends him all over the world with the UFC’s increasing global presence, but it allows him to still be their top cageside analyst. It also allows UFC to get options for his eventual replacement some live reps.
While Rogan has talked about eventually quitting, he also has talked about the thrill of being cageside for some of the most unpredictable bouts in UFC history this year. That’s probably not an adrenaline rush you can get many other places. Rogan and UFC could potentially continue to do one-year contracts until he’s ready to walk away for good. Given he’s already sticking around after the sale when he said he’d walk away for good, that could be for a while.
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