What’s the story?
On the latest episode of fight companion, Joe Rogan revealed on his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience that Dana White is the sole reason for him staying with the UFC since the company was sold to WME.
At the end of last year, Rogan claimed that he was on his way out of the UFC, and the number of appearances made by the stand-up comedian and MMA commentator has reduced since then.
In case you didn't know...
Mike Goldberg, UFC's host commentator along with Rogan for the last twenty years was released by the company after UFC 207.
The new owners have substituted the pair of Goldberg and Rogan, with the likes of Jon Anik, Dan Hardy, Daniel Cormier and Dominick Cruz who are being eased in as new voices to broadcast the fastest growing sport in the world.
The heart of the matter
With the new owners slowly injecting new blood into the company, Joe Rogan, when asked about his future in the UFC by Brendan Schaub said:
"I don't know what's going on in terms of organisation, you know? I literally know Dana and Dana's the reason why I'm still there.”
When asked if he would leave if White was to be removed from the UFC, Rogan replied to Schaub he replied saying, "Oh yessss! He's the only reason I'm there."
He went on to praise the new owners, giving them his backing, as he looks set to stay on board with the company for a while longer, most possibly with a reduced role.
“I've met Ari. He's a very nice guy, he's a very smart guy, he's a very successful guy. I wish them all the best, I'm rooting for them 100%. Obviously, I'm still with the company. I love them. It's an honour to work for the UFC.”
What’s next?
Joe Rogan looks set to stay in the UFC for a while longer as long as Dana White still remains president. On the other hand, new owner Ari Emanuel is looking to extend the boundaries of the sport to the entire globe, as WME try to continue to build the foundation for the sport in other countries.
Sportskeeda’s take
The possibility of Rogan’s exit from the UFC looks slim as long as White is power and as he remains a huge fan of Rogan, the colour commentator seems to be going nowhere. However if White was to be dismissed by WME, Rogan’s exit could be all but confirmed.
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