UFC announcer Joe Rogan will be in attendance for the MMA promotion’s June event on the White House’s south lawn, but don’t mistake his presence for approval.
‘Yeah, I’m not thrilled about that,’ Rogan told comedian Mark Normand during Friday’s episode of his popular podcast. ‘Yeah, I’ll be there but I’m not thrilled about it, it doesn’t seem like a wise idea.’
There had been some question about Rogan’s presence at the White House fight card, given his increasingly complicated relationship with President Donald Trump.
Rogan’s podcast has been a pivotal platform for candidate Trump, who had a three-hour interview on the show and secured the host’s endorsement in the days before his 2024 electoral victory. But in recent weeks, Rogan has criticized Trump’s war with Iran, calling it ‘crazy,’ while also taking aim at the President’s immigration tactics and his Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files.
And then there is Trump’s idea to host a UFC event at the White House. Dubbed UFC Freedom 250, the card is aimed at celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary, but will take place on June 14, which happens to be Trump’s birthday.
‘It’s kind of a gimmick, you know, there’s that,’ Rogan said.
Daniel Cormier, Joe Rogan and President-elect Donald Trump talk during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024. Rogan previously endorsed Trump
(From left) Dana White, Donald Trump, Kid Rock and Elon musk pose at UFC 309 at MSG
President-elect Donald Trump sits cageside at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in 2024
Headlined by a lightweight title bout between Georgia’s Ilia Topuria and American fan-favorite Justin Gaethje, the six-fight card will be seen by only 5,000 lucky invitees. Meanwhile, another 80,000 tickets will be given away for fans to watch from a nearby park on a giant scoreboard-sized screen.
While the event has been teased as a major fight card by both the UFC and the White House, many fans have remained critical of the matchups and other logistical issues.
‘People are criticizing the card, but if it was any other card, it’s a great card it’s just they’re criticizing it because they said it was gonna be the ‘greatest card of all time’ and it’s also just gonna be a security nightmare,’ Rogan said.
‘Also they’re fighting outside,’ he continued. ‘What if it rains? What if it’s hot? You’re in the middle of June, June in D.C. can get pretty warm, that affects fighters.’
The event will be held on the south lawn of the White House, with extra seating on The Ellipse
UFC CEO Dana White has long resisted outdoor bouts due to potential issues with weather and other factors.
‘We only did one outside fight that I was part of and that was in Abu Dhabi and it was a nightmare,’ Rogan said. ‘It was really hot and there were bugs flying around the size of f***ing birds, it was crazy.’
Rogan will not be the only big name on hand.
Trump confirmed his attendance at UFC Freedom 250 in an interview with Jake Paul earlier this month.
‘It’s going to be amazing at the White House,’ he said. ‘And Dana [White] is a great guy. He’s a good fan of yours, you know. Dana is a good guy. The best. I mean, there’s nobody like him.’
