Joe Rogan’s current UFC deal ends in August, and the long-time Octagon color-commentator has repeatedly dropped hints in recent months that his time in the broadcast booth alongside Mike Goldberg may be coming to an end.
He’s been at it again this week, telling Rolling Stone magazine that he doesn’t think he’ll do it for too much longer.
“I’m already wondering whether or not I can continue doing this as it is,” Rogan said. “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.”
Rogan gave a similar version of his thought process while speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour show earlier this week, appearing to suggest that he hadn’t made his mind up about whether to sign a new deal with the UFC or not.
A story that the UFC were looking to sell for a reported $4 billion emerged a couple of weeks ago, but the UFC have since denied that’s the case.
Rogan claims he doesn’t know what’s going on with regards to that, saying he’s “heard conflicting reports”, but one thing he’s 100% certain of is that there’s no way he’d continue on in the company if the UFC were to sell it to someone else.
“I’m not working for anybody else. If the sale goes through I’m outta there,” Rogan said.
