When it comes to the hallmarks of a UFC broadcast, the only thing more familiar to a fan than the opening title with ‘Bring The Pain’ is Joe Rogan’s color commentary. He’s been handling mic duties for events since 2002 and is a fan favorite due to his deep knowledge and obvious love for the sport. But all good things must come to an end, and it sounds like Joe’s time in the announcer’s chair may almost be up.
“If the [UFC] sale goes through I’m outta there,” he told Rolling Stone when asked about rumors of the league selling for upwards of 4 billion dollars. “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 shit, 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.
“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. 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.”
This isn’t the first time Rogan has talked about ending his long run as a UFC commentator. Late last year he mentioned that his contract with the company was up in August of 2016, saying “I like taking chances, and I like walking away from things. I’m not a big fan of doing the same s**t over and over again.”
Back when Rogan joined the commentator’s desk for the UFC back in 2002, the promotion was running roughly seven events a year. 2016 has the company throwing 26 events, with many of those taking place all over the world. While the UFC has split up their announcing duties and added more teams to take care of smaller Fight Night cards, Joe still spends a huge amount of time travelling to UFC events and taking part in fight week activities. Whether that’s a major a factor in his decision to move on from the company or not, it sounds like he wants to quit the job so he can enjoy the sport as a fan again.
So as you enjoy a summer packed with big fights, don’t forget to appreciate the work Joe Rogan does calling events. There’s a good chance these could be his last few months doing it.