Joe Rogan has built a multi-million dollar podcasting empire, but one of his best friends from the UFC world is perhaps most impressed by his memory of the sport’s early days.
Rogan began at the company in 1997 as a backstage interviewer, and has spent the last 23 years as a color commentator during fights – a role he has continued doing despite the enormous success of ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ more recently.
And Rogan’s close friend and UFC colleague Daniel Cormier has certainly been left awestruck at his passion for and vivid recollection of the sport’s history.
‘I’ve never met a person that actually remembers more than Rogan,’ Cormier told Shannon Sharpe on his ‘Club Shay Shay’ podcast.
‘We go to dinner after the fights. He’ll be talking about events at UFC 15 and I’m like: ‘UFC 15? Was that in 2004?’… His memory to recall all these things, I’ve never seen anything like it.
Cormier continued of Rogan: ‘And Shannon, it says something when you do a job just for the love of doing the job, when you don’t have to do it. Joe doesn’t have to do the UFC.’
Joe Rogan has achieved tremendous success with his ‘Joe Rogan Experience’ podcast
But his friend and colleague Daniel Cormier (right) is still hugely impressed by Rogan’s memory of UFC history
While Rogan was previously known more for his work as a stand-up comic and TV host – appearing on shows like ‘Fear Factor’ and ‘The Man Show’ – he has become arguably the most influential podcaster in the world since launching ‘JRE’ in 2009.
Since then, he has gone on to interview political figures like Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders and Elon Musk – racking up billions of views across his catalogue of episodes in the process.
Rogan signed a reported $250million deal with Spotify last year.
Nonetheless, he has remained around UFC as a color commentator alongside Cormier, after initially agreeing to work in exchange for free tickets when he began the role in 2002 under president Dana White.
However, 58-year-old Rogan recently revealed that the retirement of his good friend White, 56, could see him depart the company.
‘I don’t think about retiring. If Dana White quits, I might quit. But that’s it,’ he told UFC fighter Ilia Topuria on the Joe Rogan Experience in April.
Rogan, seen in 2006 with Dana White, has formed a close relationship since starting as a UFC color commentator in 2002
He’s continued his broadcasting duties despite signing an enormous podcast deal with Spotify
‘It’s actually in my contract. If he leaves, I leave. So in my contract if he leaves I don’t have to stay.
He continued: ‘I wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t for him. Yeah, he’s my friend. He talked me into doing it.’
After a short stint as a backstage interview in 2001, Rogan was tempted back to the company as a color commentator by White the following year.
The pair have formed a close relationship over the past 23 years as the sport has evolved into a massive business.
‘I can’t say what’s gonna happen when I leave, but when I’m here, the people who are with me and have been with me they know exactly what’s up, and Joe knows what’s up. It’s a two-way street,’ White has said.
‘Joe Rogan has been very loyal to me, and I am very loyal to Joe Rogan.’
