Rogan explains why he quit calling FOX cards

The UFC has a look and feel that is in its way as unique as the look and feel of the Apple computer operating system. A UFC event does not feel like a sports event, either in person on television. It borrows aspects from rock music and aspects from a riot. A central part of the look and feel is felt when you listen to Joe Rogan commentate.

However, this year Rogan did not do any FOX shows. No UFC on FOX, no UFC Fight Pass. These days Rogan does pay per view television events and some promos. During a recent JRE MMA Show, an interview with Mike Bohn for MMAjunkie, he explained why.

My contract is with the UFC and I was never working for FOX, said, as transcribed by Mike Bohn for MMAjunkie. That was one of the stipulations of my newer [UFC] contract, was I said I didn’t want to do the FOX events anymore. This year, I don’t do any of the FOX events. You’ll notice when there’s big fights on FOX, I don’t do any of them – none of them. Zero. Stopped doing it – didn’t want to do it anymore. Too much work, too much travel. Suit is not a big deal because they have the suit there for me, but my issue was FOX actually paid me less money – less money to do the events on FOX. I was like, ‘You guys are high.’

So Rogan was having to travel to the ends of the Earth, in an outfit fit for a wedding, for less money. And then FOX tried to filter him.

They got in my ear, said Rogan. The very first events for FOX, they were like telling me what to do. They were telling me to take it down a notch. ‘Don’t be so amped up about that guy,’ I was like, ‘What? What are you doing here?’ I go, ‘Listen, I do commentary. This is what I do. I’ve been doing it forever. This is how I do it. If you think you can change me, then we’re not going to work together.’ We had a real problem for the first event. It was a FOX production.

I didn’t like it. They want a sports guy. Look, MMA is what it is. It’s fighting. It is a very specific kind of sport. I’ve been doing it the way I’ve been doing it forever. If you don’t like the way I do it, that’s fine. Don’t hire me. But don’t try to get me to become some sports guy. I’m not interested in that at all.

They stopped doing it after the first event when I voiced my displeasure. I let them know really clearly, ‘Look, we’re not doing this. We’re not going to change how I do it to make you happy. If you don’t like the way I do it, it’s not an option for you to direct me and tell me to do it the way you like it, because you think that’s how.’ They were producers or executives. I don’t agree with them, and I’m not doing it that way.

This is what I do. I get amped up. If some s*** goes down and guys are trading blows and I’m screaming, it’s because I feel that way. It’s legitimate passion. I’m not faking it. They let it go after a while, but it’s not like they fought for me when I quit, either.

Rogan is content doing twelve UFC PPV events per year, and has worked under one-year contracts the past few years. So that appears to be stable. But the UFC is switching broadcast partners for 2018 from FOX to ESPN, so the stability is not ensured.