Following the criticism of the podcast, musicians and others decided to remove themselves from the platform. Roxane Gay, African-American and LGBTQ feminist, removed her podcast, The Roxane Gay Agenda. Additionally, two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Neil Young took his music off the streaming service.
Although many people want Rogan canceled, there are many people who stand with him. For instance, UFC President Dana White and Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña are on his side.
As is Caitlyn Jenner, former Olympic gold-medalist who transitioned to female in 2015.
Bye bye Leftover hippies from the 60’s boycotting @joerogan on Spotify. Nobody will miss you. Thank you @Spotify for standing up for Rogan!
“Bye Bye Leftover hippies from the 60’s boycotting @joerogan on Spotify. Nobody will miss you. thank you @Spotify for standing up for Rogan!,” Jenner tweeted on February 4.
Caitlyn’s support of the podcast might be a surprise, considering it has also been accused of spewing misinformation about the transgender community.
In the episode, Shrier describes transgenderism as a “social contagion”, among other things. Additionally, Caitlyn’s name is brought up when Rogan questions her need for surgery if she already felt like a woman.
However, Jenner’s support of Rogan may not come as a total shock to some members of the transgender community. During her candidacy to replace governor Gavin Newsome, Jenner sparked heavy negativity from the transgender community when she stated it is “unfair” to allow transgender women and girls in women’s sports.
Unfortunately for those who disagree with Joe Rogan and dislike his podcast, Spotify has yet to remove it from their service. Many deem Joe as “uncancelable” and believe the show is simply an outlet for the UFC commentator and comedian to voice his opinions while letting others’ be heard as well.
What are your thoughts on Caitlyn Jenner backing Joe Rogan?
This decision comes after Grammy-award-winning artist India Arie revealed that she had a private conversation with Spotify about the discrepancy between what Rogan is being paid while there are clips of him stating racially controversial remarks compared to what music artists and podcasters of colors are paid.
It is this perceived gap in pay and equity that prompted Arie to join Young and Mitchell in requesting her music be pulled from the platform.
India Arie, Credit: Getty Images
Over the weekend, two videos went viral, both of which Rogan has apologized for. The first video contained a compilation of Rogan saying “ni**er” without any full sentences or context included in the video. The second video had Rogan stating that it felt as though he and his friends were in “Planet of the Apes” when they unexpectedly arrived in an all-black neighborhood.
There was also a third video that has mostly flown under the radar, where Rogan implies that white people’s brains are superior to black people’s brains. The latter two videos were both very dated and over a decade old.
Following the snowstorm of criticism that came down on Rogan, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek released a memo to company employees. Here are the notes of what Ek wrote in the memo.
Expressed empathy for the Spotify team being stuck in the middle of Rogan’s controversies and stated that none of Rogan’s comments represent the values of the company.
Had conversations with Rogan and his team about past JRE episodes containing racially insensitive comments, with Rogan choosing to remove those episodes.
Stated that “silencing” Joe Rogan is not the answer
Clarified that Spotify is not the publisher of JRE but merely holds the exclusive license for the podcast.
$100 million investment into marginalized communities to broaden, not stifle, public discourse.
The remainder of the memo is used as a direct address to employees with the intention of boosting staff morale in the midst of the ongoing controversies and negative press.
As Joe Rogan apologized over the weekend for past controversial remarks found in two viral videos containing podcast clips dating back several years, a third video also resurfaced.
Joe Rogan has found himself to be one of the most controversial figures in 2022 thus far. First, over 200 individuals wrote an open letter to Spotify calling on the company to take action against The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. This came after the December 31, 2021 episode featuring Dr. Robert Malone, who is specifically being accused of spreading misinformation regarding COVID-19.
The authors of the letter were soon joined by music legends Neil Young and Joni Mitchell in the shared belief that Rogan’s podcast is using the Spotify platform to spread “deadly misinformation” that is causing real harm to the general public. Both Young and Mitchell requested to have their music removed from Spotify in protest of Rogan’s continued presence on the app.
Rogan addressed these concerns in a video last week, where he apologized if he made anyone angry but insisted that it was not his intention to be controversial. He reiterated that his podcast is a place for multiple perspectives to be heard, even if he does not agree with each guest. He also expressed an openness to making changes to the presentation of his content, specifically the order in which guests are scheduled so that opposing views could potentially be heard in consecutive episodes.
Many people praised Rogan for his apology, with Chael Sonnen calling it a “home run.” Even Trevor Noah of The Daily Showpraised Rogan for much of what he had to say in the video. Rogan also had the backing of his many loyal supports and those who resist any strain of the “cancel culture” virus many believe is infecting American society.
Rogan Hit With A Second Controversy Over The Weekend
As Neil Young and Joni Mitchell requested to have their music removed from Spotify in protest of Rogan, another multi-time Grammy-award-winning artist, India Arie, added her name to the Spotify protest. However, Arie’s reason had nothing to do with COVID-19 misinformation and was based on very dated remarks from Rogan’s podcast that were unearthed.
The first video is a compilation of Rogan repeatedly saying the word “ni**er” with a hard “er.” The second video features Rogan comparing his arrival in an all-black neighborhood to landing in The Planet of the Apes.
Below, you can view both videos as well as India Arie’s explanation for why Rogan remaining on Spotify on such a lucrative deal is unacceptable when, as she claims, podcasters of color and music artists are being underpaid (right arrow leads to next video). (h/t Hollywood Unlocked)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZhNdCzL94g/
Of note, UFC fighter Curtis Blaydes was among the 27,000-plus individuals who liked the above post.
Rogan Issues Apology, Swarmed With Support From MMA Community
Rogan would soon address both videos in an apology released on his Instagram page over the weekend.
Rogan began by calling this situation “the most regretful and shameful thing” he’s ever had to discuss publicly. Rogan says that his use of “the N-word” was taken out of context by the video creator, whom he accuses of using handpicked clips from over a decade of podcast content. However, he made sure to point out that this was no excuse and that he should have never used the word for any reason, to begin with.
Regarding the Planet of the Apes remarks, Rogan stated the following:
“And there’s another clip that I have to address. There’s a clip from 11 years ago. I was telling a story on the podcast about how me and my friend Tommy and his girlfriend, we got really high, we were in Philadelphia, and we went to go see Planet of the Apes. And we didn’t know where we were going, we just got dropped off by a cab, and we got dropped off in this all-black neighborhood. And I was trying to make the story entertaining. And I said, ‘We got out, and it was like we were in Africa. It’s like we were in Planet of the Apes.’
“I did not, nor would I ever, say that black people are apes, but it sure fuckin’ sounded like that. And I immediately afterwards said, ‘That’s a racist thing to say. Planet of the Apes wasn‘t even in Africa.’ I was just saying, ‘There’s a lot of black people there.’
“Then, I went on to talk about what a positive experience it was and how much fun it was to go to see this movie in a black neighborhood. It wasn’t a racist story, but it sounded terrible. And like I said, you can have clunky stories about anything, but not about race.”
You can view the full apology below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZlnH8MAb8L/
Rogan was again praised for the apology, with many in the MMA community, including fighters, showering him with support.
This world and nation are in a strange place right now and the people who bring dialogue in seek of the truth are not our enemies. @joerogan is a friend with a huge heart for everyone. 👊🏽🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/nGJSUQv21w
“This world and nation are in a strange place right now and the people who bring dialogue in seek of the truth are not our enemies. @joerogan is a friend with a huge heart for everyone,” wrote Josh Thompson.
“I don’t feel Joe Rogan is racist, and I don’t need white people telling me what he says is supposed to offend me,” said UFC newcomer Terrance McKinney.
This is just a snapshot of the overwhelming support Rogan received from people in the MMA community of various races, genders, and political affiliations.
There was, however, a very prominent public figure who revoked his support for Rogan.
Dwayne Johnson Revokes Support For Joe Rogan, Third Controversial Video Resurfaces
Recently, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson expressed a desire to appear on Joe Rogan’s podcast as a show of support for Rogan during the Spotify “misinformation” controversy.
However, after the two aforementioned viral videos hit the web, best-selling author Don Winslow pressed the Hollywood superstar to denounce that support. Johnson accommodated this request after being further “educated” on Rogan’s past content.
Dear @donwinslow Thank you so much for this I hear you as well as everyone here 100% I was not aware of his N word use prior to my comments, but now I've become educated to his complete narrative. Learning moment for me.
“Dear @donwinslow Thank you so much for this I hear you as well as everyone here 100% I was not aware of his N word use prior to my comments, but now I’ve become educated to his complete narrative. Learning moment for me. Mahalo, brother and have a great & productive weekend. DJ” Johnson wrote.
Mr. Winslow referenced “many racist statements” regarding black people from Rogan, but he did not enumerate which statements he was referring to. While it is possible he was only mentioning the two video clips that went viral over the weekend, it is also possible that both Winslow and Johnson were made aware of a third video that also recently resurfaced.
In the video, Rogan implies that white people are genetically more intelligent than black people after a guest told him he has a black father and white mother. You can view that clip below.
I noticed this old post of mine is suddenly getting retweeted all over the place today. https://t.co/rbQRjG8pMZ
“Powerful combination, genetic-wise, right? You get the body of the black man, and you get the mind of the white man altogether in some strange combination. It doesn’t, by the way, mean that black people don’t have brains. It’s a different brain. Don’t get me wrong,” Rogan said.
Again, it is unclear if this is part of the “complete narrative” that Johnson was referring to, but there is no doubt that these remarks are racially charged and highly questionable.
The subject of white intellectual superiority over blacks dates back centuries and continues to be linked to white supremacy to this day. In fairness to Rogan, the above clip, not unlike the Planet of the Apes clip, is from many moons ago. But unlike the two videos Rogan addressed over the weekend, this video has not yet been addressed as of this writing, thus it is unclear if his views have changed or if he feels he was taken out of context by the isolated selection of this video clip.
It is also unknown what Rogan said immediately following this clip. However, based solely on the audio evidence at hand, at best, Rogan spouted historical stereotypes considered harmful, especially by people of color who have testified that they struggle against such perceptions in their daily lives.
While some may consider such a dated clip irrelevant and yet another example of “cancel culture,” clearly, as demonstrated by Dwayne Johnson’s and even Curtis Blaydes’ response to past clips of Rogan, there are many individuals and groups who take an interest in being fully aware of past questionable remarks made by someone. This is especially the case when the remarks are regarding race and if the individual in question has a large platform.
That said, as UFC President Dana White recently articulated, it’s highly unlikely that Rogan will be “canceled” in any impactful way, regardless of any past remarks. Even if he were to be removed from Spotify, Rogan still has the #1 podcast in the country, over 20 million social media followers, and a very wide-reaching and loyal fanbase. In addition, as demonstrated by the support received in recent days, he remains one of the most beloved members of the MMA community.
What are your thoughts on this third resurfaced video from Joe Rogan?
The following article was published on this day two years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 6, 2020, 9:50 PM]
Headline: Dana White Weighs In On Disagreement Between Joe Rogan & Stephen A. Smith
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
UFC President Dana White has given his two cents on the disagreement between Joe Rogan and Stephen A. Smith.
Stephen A. got plenty of flak for his comments on Donald Cerrone’s performance against Conor McGregor at UFC 246. “Cowboy” was defeated in 40 seconds. During the post-UFC 246 edition of SportsCenter, Stephen A. said he felt Cerrone “gave up” and that his performance was “atrocious.”
MMAJunkie.com caught up with UFC boss Dana White, who gave his viewpoint on the situation. White said disagreements are simply bound to happen between two opinionated personalities.
“I’m not into it. Rogan is not into it. You don’t see that in the UFC. There will be times where I’m pissed off at a guy, and I’ll voice my opinion on what he did or whatever – or if a fight is really bad or somebody did something. What we don’t do is, when a fight is over and a guy loses, we don’t go in and rip them apart. It’s just not our style. We’re fans. We don’t do it. I think Rogan was reacting to that. That’s our philosophy here. For Stephen A. Smith, that’s his thing. That’s what he does. It’s going to happen. You’re always going to have people who have difference in opinions, especially when you have two very opinionated guys like Stephen A. Smith and Joe Rogan.”
Stephen A. has been discussing UFC bouts more since the promotion’s deal with ESPN. While Smith has covered MMA in the past, he doesn’t do so nearly as much as other sports such as basketball or football.
While many within the MMA community have been at odds with Stephen A., some have looked at the other side. There’s no doubting that Stephen A. is ESPN’s most popular personality and his reach to the casual sports fan is significant. If he talks about lesser-known MMA fighters, it could boost their stock. Of course, insinuating that a fighter quit can also have the opposite effect.
As Joe Rogan is embroiled in the most controversy and backlash as he has ever been under his decades under the spotlight, here is an opportunity to reflect on a warm story of how he became the voice of the UFC.
In a recent Joe Rogan Experience podcast episode with UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña as a guest, Rogan shared how he began doing UFC commentary for free:
“In 2001, I met Dana, and I became friends with him, and then he’s the one that talked me into doing commentary. The first time I ever did commentary was UFC 37 and a half. That was the Vitor Belfort versus Chuck Liddell fight, and that was on Best Damn Sports Show Period. So it was a big deal that they were on Best Damn Sports Show Period and I was on Fear Factor. So he was like, ‘Would you do me a favor and do commentary?’ So I did the first 15 shows I did for them for free. I didn’t even have a contract. I was just doing it for fun. I said, ‘Listen, I don’t even need any money.’ I said, ‘Just give my friends tickets so my friends could watch the fights, and I’ll do commentary. It’s no big deal.”
In the below article published on this day three years ago, we published an article of Rogan telling the same story. Below, you’ll find more detail provided for your reading pleasure, as the following article is shared in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Three Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 6, 2019, 8:05 PM]
Headline: Joe Rogan Reveals How He Became The Voice Of UFC
Author: Jon Fuentes
Joe Rogan has become synonymous with mixed martial arts (MMA) and the UFC. Rogan is undoubtedly the greatest MMA commentator of all time and is beloved by nearly all MMA fans across the world. Fans have become so used to Rogan being around, but many might not know how he ended up cage-side for some of the best MMA events of all time.
During a recent episode of his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience”, with Sebastian Maniscalco, Rogan told the story about how he found himself as the main commentator of the UFC. Here’s how he detailed his journey:
“Well, I started in 1997. I was the post-fight interviewer. It just was a position that was available. The UFC was very small back then, very few people knew what it was. It was off of cable. You couldn’t get it on cable, you could only get it on satellite. And, they needed someone to do post-fight interviews.
“I was in the martial arts world, I used to teach martial arts for a living. Before I became a comedian I used to fight. I fought in a lot of Tae Kwan Doe tournaments, had some kickboxing fights, I’d always been a martial artist. Since I was a kid. I was just interested in watching the UFC. And then I started training jiu-jitsu, and when I was training in jiu-jitsu, I was just a white belt, I was just starting out, that’s when I got hired by the UFC to be a post-fight interviewer. But I only did that for two years.
“And then I quit, it was just too much. It was actually, just – I was actually losing money. I would make more money doing a weekend at a comedy club than I would doing the UFC. And it just got to a point where it was just too much of a pain in the ass. So I still remained a fan, but I backed away. And then the UFC was purchased by this company named Zuffa in 2001.
“When that happened, they started putting on shows in Vegas, and I would go there with my friends. They got me free tickets, they reached out. They would try and get celebrities to go sit there so that – cause they were very small at the time, they were hemorrhaging money, they were trying to build it up.
“And in talking to Dana White, one day I was talking to him about fights going on in Japan. “Do you know this guy?” – and I was bringing up all these names – “Do you want to do commentary?” “I don’t want to do commentary, man. I’m here to get drunk and watch people kick the shit out of each other. I’m not here to work.” And he talked me into it for one show. UFC 137.5.
“It was a show that was on one of those FOX Sports networks, one of the smaller networks. I did that, and the rest was history. I did like 12 of them for free. The UFC didn’t have any money. They were hemorrhaging money. There were rich people that owned it, but it was not a profitable venture. And I said, “Look, just get me there, get me and my friends tickets, and I’ll do it.” And that’s how I operated for over a year, and then I just became “The Commentator.” It’s just weird.”
What do you think about Rogan’s journey to becoming the voice of the UFC?
Another prominent political figure has come to the defense of UFC commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan after recent controversies.
Rogan has been under fire in recent weeks following a pair of controversial podcasts with Dr. Robert Malone and Dr. Peter McCullough. Many have attacked Spotify and Rogan for alleged misinformation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines.
The conversation regarding Rogan’s platform has risen to the White House, as President Joe Biden’s administration has weighed in on the promotion of misinformation. Now, Rogan has the support of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who came to his defense in a recent tweet.
– I'm not sure what @joerogan thinks about me or about my government, but it doesn't matter. If freedom of speech means anything, it means that people should be free to say what they think, no matter if they agree or disagree with us. Stand your ground! Hugs from Brazil. 👍
“I’m not sure what [Joe Rogan] thinks about me or about my government but it doesn’t matter,” Bolsonaro said. “If freedom of speech means anything, it means that people should be free to say what they think, no matter if they agree or disagree with us. Stand your ground! Hugs from Brazil.” (h/t SportsKeeda)
After being bombarded by criticism, Rogan posted a lengthy video message on social media promising to take necessary precautions with his podcast. This is after artists such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have attacked Rogan and requested to pull their music from Spotify altogether.
TheJoe Rogan Experience doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon, and supporters and critics of the podcast seem steadfast in their positions regarding guests and views found on the show.
What are your thoughts on Joe Rogan and his podcast?
UFC color commentator Joe Rogan believes women’s bantamweight queen Julianna Peña changed the world with her victory over Amanda Nunes at UFC 269.
At the final pay-per-view of 2021, Peña closed out the year by providing one of its most memorable moments. Prior to the event, “The Venezuelan Vixen” carried an air of confidence that has never been synonymous with opponents of Nunes, who was undefeated since 2014 at the time and reigned over both the 135 and 145-pound weight classes.
After surviving the opening round, Peña brought a look out of Nunes that no one has managed to do since Cat Zingano eight years ago. After tiring the Brazilian out in a wild battle on the feet, Peña dragged her to the ground and submitted her.
The result was an upset felt around the world. From casual fans and hardcore fans to fighters and pundits, very few had seen it coming. That’s what made it arguably the biggest shock in UFC history.
One man who recognized the momentous nature of the win was Joe Rogan. From his cageside seat, the renowned podcast host had a front-row view for what transpired. In his mind, the fight not only changed the landscape of the division and the promotion but the entire world.
Whilst the UFC 269 co-main event brought the MMA community one of the most memorable underdog triumphs the sport has ever seen, Rogan believes the fight itself also boasted everything required to make it a classic.
The 54-year-old told the newly-crowned champion that her effort that night in Las Vegas created everything he and the rest of the fanbase would ever want from a matchup inside the Octagon.
“That was one of the best fights I’ve ever seen. In terms of, what do you want out of a fight? You want to be completely immersed,” added Rogan. “The world goes away. All you’re thinking about is what’s happening right in front of you. And because of your effort, because of what you accomplished that night, you changed the way people think about what’s possible and not possible. That’s everything we want from a fight. Everything.
“You were the underdog, you came in, you were counted out by so many people, you fought the greatest of all time, and you fucked her up. And the way you did it, the whole world—everybody that watched that was like, ‘Holy shit.’ The world is a different place now.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYHysQivvs7/
Having ascended the 135-pound mountaintop, the next step for Peña will be to further tighten her hold on the belt by adding another blemish to Nunes’ record when they collide for their expected rematch later his year.
But even if she is unable to do so, nobody will be able to take away her accomplishment and the incredible feat she achieved on December 11.
What was your reaction when Julianna Peña ended the two-division dominance of Amanda Nunes at UFC 269?
Joe Rogan has responded to the accusations of misinformation directed at his podcast after two music legends boycotted Spotify in protest.
Last week, Canadian music artist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Neil Young told Spotify that they could either remove his music or the Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast, which Young accused of presenting misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly thereafter, Young’s longtime friend and fellow R&R Hall of Famer Joni Mitchell stood in solidarity with him and also decided to remove her music from Spotify.
The brunt of the criticism came after a pair of controversial medical experts appeared on the podcast. This resulted in over 200 individuals submitting an open letter to Spotify requesting for the streaming service to take action against Rogan’s podcast for allegedly spreading misinformation.
UFC President Dana White and Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña are among the notable list of individuals who have come to Rogan’s defense against the wave of criticism. In White’s case, he claimed that Rogan was uncancelable; and Peña, who was a recent guess on JRE, did not understand what all the fuss was about for merely exchanging thoughts and opinions.
Joe Rogan Responds To Misinformation Accusations
Sunday, Rogan himself would address the backlash he is facing in a post to his Facebook page. Rogan’s impetus for releasing the video was to help straighten out the “distorted perception” of his podcast that may have been influenced by cherry-picked soundbites or “disparaging” headlines and articles about him.
“The podcast has been accused of spreading ‘dangerous misinformation,’ specifically two episodes—a little bit about some other ones but specifically about two—one with Dr. Peter McCullough and one with Dr. Malone,” Rogan began. “Dr. Peter McCullough is a cardiologist, and he is the most published physician in his field in history. Dr. Robert Malone owns nine patents on the creation of mRNA vaccine technology and is at least partially responsible for the creation of the technology that led to mRNA vaccines.
“Both these people are very highly credentialed, very intelligent, very accomplished people, and they have an opinion that’s different from the mainstream narrative. I wanted to hear what their opinion is. I had them on and because of that, those episodes in particular were labeled as being dangerous. They had ‘dangerous misinformation’ in them.
Joe Rogan, Credit: Getty Images
“The problem I have with the term ‘misinformation,’ especially today, is that many of the things that we thought of as misinformation just a short while ago are now accepted as fact. Like for instance, eight months ago if you said if you get vaccinated, you could still catch COVID and you could still spread COVID, you would be removed from social media. They would ban you from certain platforms. Now, that’s accepted as fact. If you said, ‘I don’t think cloth masks work,’ you would be banned from social media. Now, that’s openly and repeatedly stated on CNN. If you said, ‘I think it’s possible that COVID-19 came from a lab,’ you would be banned from many social media platforms. Now, that’s on the cover of Newsweek.
“All of those theories that at one point in time were banned were openly discussed by those two men that I had on my podcast that have been accused of dangerous misinformation. I do not know if they’re right. I don’t know because I’m not a doctor. I’m not a scientist. I’m just a person that sits down and talks to people and has conversations with them.”
Rogan cited multiple examples of medical professionals he’s had on as guests who offer a differing view from Malone and McCullough, such as Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Dr. Peter Hotez, and even Dr. Michael Osterholm, who has served on President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 panel.
Rogan also stated that he agrees with the recent disclaimer Spotify has added to Rogan’s podcast episodes that feature viewpoints that stray from the consensus regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The disclaimer encourages listeners to speak with their physicians to learn more about COVID-19 and what treatment is best for them and issues a general warning regarding the content in the episodes.
Rogan went on to state that he does not claim to be infallible, but he is willing to correct himself when wrong and will continue having open conversations in pursuit of truth and a stronger understanding of the topics discussed.
“Do I get things wrong? Absolutely I get things wrong,” Rogan continued. “But I try to correct them. Whenever I get something wrong, I try to correct it because I’m interested in telling the truth. I’m interested in finding out what the truth is. And I’m interested in having interesting conversations with people that have differing opinions. I’m not interested in only talking to people that have one perspective.”
Joni Mitchell (left) & Neil Young (right) circa 1976
Rogan also expressed sadness at the Spotify boycott by Young and Mitchell, both of whom Rogan says he’s a big fan of. At the end of the video, Rogan even shared a story of working as a security guard at the age of 19 during a Neil Young concert, where he quit because of the chaos that ensued and drove back home singing along to Young’s classic “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
Moving forward, Rogan is open to ideas on how to improve his process as a podcast host, with one possibility being to have guests who have differing opinions on back-to-back episodes.
Rogan closed out the post thanking Spotify for their support and reflecting on how much his podcast has grown beyond his wildest expectations to the point where such massive controversies could even derive from it.
You can view Rogan’s full response below. (h/t Mindful Motivation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYdcTacXK9g
What do you make of Joe Rogan’s response to the backlash against him and his podcast after the Spotify boycotts?
The following article was published on this day five years ago. It is presented in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Five Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2017, 3:29 PM]
Headline: Joe Rogan: Conor McGregor “Will Manipulate Leverage” in “Star Driven” MMA
Author: Adam Haynes
Joe Rogan and friends theorize on a new dawn in MMA, and discuss Conor McGregor’s announcement on the newly established ‘McGregor Promotions’.
McGregor had numerous topics to discuss with Ariel Helwani on Saturday in Manchester, England, including a potential bout with Floyd Mayweather, Ronda Rousey and the soon-to-come birth of his first child.
The current UFC lightweight champion also announced the birth of ‘McGregor Promotions,’ insisting that he will look to co-promote any Mayweather match with the UFC and the boxer’s company, but with considerable conditions:
“Everyone’s got to know their place,” McGregor said. “There’s Mayweather Promotions, there’s the UFC and now there’s the newly formed McGregor Promotions. And we’re all in the mix.”
Joe Rogan spoke with ex-UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub and others on Saturday’s installment of their ‘Fight Companion’ podcast, and hypothesized on the rapid evolution of MMA:
“It’s going to become what boxing is. It’s going to become that. It’s star-driven” Rogan said. “when it’s star-driven like that, guys like Conor who are legitimate stars, they have the leverage. And they’re going to manipulate that leverage. They’re going to utilize that leverage and we’re going to see what happens”.
As marvelously as Conor McGregor performed in his 2020 victory over Donald Cerrone, much of the attention was placed on what Cerrone didn’t do as opposed to what McGregor did do. Whenever there’s a Conor McGregor fight, the A-listers come out, including the biggest names in sports media, such as ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
Smith opined that Cerrone looked like he quit during the loss to McGregor and was widely ridiculed for those remarks. Although later that year, Cerrone himself stated that he ‘didn’t want to be there,‘ when everything was still fresh after the fight, Smith’s remarks weren’t taken well by many within the MMA community, including Joe Rogan as you’ll see in the below article published on this day two years ago.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Two Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2020, 1:20 PM]
Headline: Joe Rogan Responds To Stephen A. Smith: I Like You, But You’re Wrong
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Joe Rogan has responded to Stephen A. Smith and he’s sticking to his guns.
Rogan and Smith are in a disagreement over Stephen A.’s assessment of Donald Cerrone’s performance at UFC 246. Smith called Cerrone’s efforts against Conor McGregor, “atrocious” and said that Cerrone looked to have “gave up.”
“Listen Stephen A. Smith, I guess I should respond. You’re a very entertaining guy. Like you a lot and I appreciate the props you gave me in that video, but you’re wrong. ‘Cowboy’ got f*cked up with those shoulders in the clinch. He had Conor’s arms tied up and they’re in tight spaces. Conor dips low and slams this bone of his shoulder into the nose. And he’s at the beginning of the round, Conor’s a f*cking super explosive guy. Super explosive, all muscle. Just f*cking pulled tight at the beginning of the fight and just, ‘Bang! Bang!’ He got off good shots and ‘Cowboy’ was confused.”
Rogan went on to disagree with the notion that Cerrone quit.
“Stephen A. Smith said that he felt like ‘Cowboy’ quit. He did not quit. He got smashed.”
Another problem Rogan has with Stephen A. is that he doesn’t think “Cowboy’s” credibility and status were taken into account with his remarks.
“It’s also who you’re talking about. You’re talking about a guy who has the most fights in the UFC, the most finishes in the UFC, the most head kick knockouts in the UFC, the most bonuses in the UFC. ‘Cowboy’ is a f*cking legend. He is as tough as they come. He’s lost before, every human can lose. Especially you’re fighting guys like Darren Till and Jorge Masvidal and these f*cking animals that he’s fighting. Or Conor, and Conor literally broke his face. He broke his nose and he broke his orbital bone. So Stephen A. Smith responded and then Conor responded. Conor told him to apologize and Conor’s right.”
Spotify has begun to remove the music of Neil Young after the Canadian issued an ultimatum to the streaming platform to either remove his music or remove Joe Rogan’s podcast.
In addition to being arguably the voice of the UFC, Rogan has become one of the most influential personalities in the world via his The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. The popularity of the podcast has also been met with its fair share of critics, including a series of alleged medical professionals who accused Rogan of spreading misinformation regarding vaccines.
In a since-deleted letter to his manager, Young threatened to pull his music from Spotify if the streaming platform doesn’t take action against Rogan.
“I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines — potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them,” Young said. “Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule.
“I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform. They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.” (h/t The Star)
Rogan signed a nine-figure deal with Spotify back in 2020. Coincidentally, Rogan’s partnership with the streaming service began right as the COVID-19 global pandemic began to run rampant across the world.
Spotify Accomodates Neil Young’s Request For Removal
“We want all the world’s music and audio content to be available to Spotify users. With that comes great responsibility in balancing both safety for listeners and freedom for creators. We have detailed content policies in place and we’ve removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID since the start of the pandemic.
“We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify but hope to welcome him back soon.
Young also issued a statement Wednesday where he thanked Warner Brothers and his fans for supporting him through this decision. He also encouraged other musicians to make a stand and take part in a mass exit of the streaming platform in protest of Rogan’s alleged COVID-19 misinformation that he called “deadly.”
Neil Young is a member of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a multi-time Grammy Award winner, and was considered one of Rolling Stone magazine’s top 100 greatest music artists of all time.
What are your thoughts on the Neil Young vs. Joe Rogan split?
Renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani has questioned the intention behind one of Joe Rogan’s questions during the post-fight interview with Francis Ngannou at UFC 270.
At the opening pay-per-view of 2022, the UFC Heavyweight Champion fought through an abundance of adversity to successfully defend his title for the first time. From his torn MCL and potential “irreversible” knee damage to his uncertain future with the UFC and possible looming free agency, “The Predator” wasn’t short of potential distractions.
But while his knee injury may have played on his mind during his struggles on the feet in the opening two rounds, the only thought in his head for the final three frames was victory. He secured that with a controlling display of wrestling, taking rounds three to five to secure a unanimous decision triumph.
In his Octagon interview with Rogan, there were a host of questions that could have been asked. One that some feel was perhaps out of place was a query about the champ’s desire to crossover to the boxing ring in the near future.
“Now, it was beautiful to see this evolution to your game and adding the grappling, but we’ve heard talk of you potentially boxing. Have you thought about doing that? What is your future plan? You obviously retained the title, it’s your option now what to do with your future?”
A dominant performance from your HW champ 👏🏆 #AndStill
While some put the question down to the pre-fight talk surrounding Ngannou’s hopes to face the likes of Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder inside the squared circle, one prominent name in the MMA industry has pondered whether it had a deeper meaning.
Having already slammed UFC President Dana White for his post-fight actions, which saw him choose not to put the belt on Ngannou or attend the presser, Helwani has now questioned whether Rogan’s post-fight interview was designed to trip up “The Predator.”
During a recent post on his Substack, Helwani pointed to the timing of the legal threat and Rogan’s subsequent boxing question after the fight, which he believes was out of place given the abundance of other intriguing queries he could have asked.
“So much to unpack from that interview, most of which I mentioned right after he signed off, but I’ll add this: when I was watching Joe Rogan interview Ngannou after the fight, I thought it was rather odd that he asked him a question about boxing,” Helwani wrote. “They never do that. Especially since there were, like, 50 other questions pertaining to the fight one could have asked (not to mention a follow-up on the knee injury).
“And then we find out about that legal e-mail they received on the night of the fight, and, well, I can’t help but wonder if Rogan was asked to ask that question to trip up Ngannou,” added Helwani. “Because, again, in the moment, it seemed really out of place, considering how they usually handle those situations. For those who don’t know, all broadcasters wear an earpiece (aka an IFB) so the producer can speak to them during the show, so it’s possible someone asked him to ask that.”
WOW Francis Ngannou just told @arielhelwani that he and his team got an email from the UFC as they were on their way to the Honda Center that they were going to be sued after having talks with Nakisa Bidarian who is Jake Paul's promoter about Boxing#TheMMAHour#UFC270
UFC Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña doesn’t understand all of the heat coming Joe Rogan’s way after recent COVID-19 claims.
Peña is on top of the world after her upset win over Amanda Nunes for the bantamweight title at UFC 269. She has made the rounds in the media since earning the belt and is enjoying the perks of fame and fortune.
“I was like, ‘Joe, I wanna come on the podcast.’ He was like, ‘Let’s f–king go. How about January 26?’”
Peña went on to elaborate on why she feels perplexed by the amount of hate and critique heading Rogan’s direction.
“It’s a little crazy to me how mad people get about his opinions,” Peña said. “I have a philosophy where if people aren’t inciting violence, or in positions of government authority where they hold power over others, I don’t get hung up over anybody’s opinions. I get much more mad about actions than people’s opinions. I see him as someone trying to learn in real-time, and just because he says something now that people think is bad, it’s not necessarily a permanent harmful thought. I think he’s valuable for the proverbial conversation.”
Joe Rogan Interviews Julianna Peña After UFC 269 Championship Win
“I find him very interesting. I actually find a lot of what he says to be like-minded with the way that I feel. Not all things, obviously. I listen to the podcast, but it’s not like I’m waiting for him to say something people disagree with him.”
Some have wondered why Rogan continues to commentate given the success he’s found in other ventures, including landing a $100 million Spotify deal. Peña thinks Rogan is still in the booth because of his love for the sport.
“It is, and the fact that we even still get him is a blessing,” Peña said. “The fact that he still wants to do it, and that he’s still passionate about it, shows the kind of person he is, where his heart is and how loyal he is. I admire that. There’s not anything bad that I can say about Joe. I think he’s a genuine, what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of person, and that’s a rarity in this day and age – to see people who are “no bulls–t.”
Rogan has been accused of spreading COVID-19 misinformation and some have called for Spotify to part ways with the prominent podcaster. Some have criticized him for promoting the drug Ivermectin, which he used as a treatment for COVID-19 but is not officially recommended as a treatment by the FDA. UFC President Dana White and many others disagree and have shared their own testimonies and viewpoints on the subject in defense of Rogan.
Peña and Rogan have never shied away from expressing their thoughts, and their planned podcast episode will certainly be seen and heard by millions.
What are your thoughts on Julianna Peña and Joe Rogan?
Dana White believes Joe Rogan can not be canceled.
Recently, a coalition of over 200 medical professionals and educators have written an open letter to Spotify to implement a “misinformation policy” as they claim Rogan is spewing lies on his podcast.
“This is not only a scientific or medical concern; it is a sociological issue of devastating proportions and Spotify is responsible for allowing this activity to thrive on its platform,” the letter concludes.
“Well, I know they had come out and said it was 200, 250 doctors or whatever. I guess when they started researching these people, they weren’t really doctors,” White said.
MMA Weekly
With most of them not being doctors, Dana White proves that Joe Rogan should keep doing what he is doing. He also believes the UFC commentator will never be canceled.
“You’re not canceling Rogan. And the thing is with Rogan, he’s a brilliant guy, he does his homework, and he knows what he’s talking about,” White said. “And guess what? This is fuckin’ America, and you can have your own opinion about these things, and you can voice ’em. That’s what this fuckin’ country was built on. And all these little whiny fuckin’ pussies that don’t like it, too fuckin’ bad, man. Too bad.”
Joe Rogan has been vocal about COVID-19 on his podcast, but he has had some experts on his podcast to talk about it. However, given how many people listen to him, the coalition wanted Spotify to have a misinformation notice on his podcasts. Whether or not that will happen is uncertain.
What do you make of Dana White saying Joe Rogan can’t be canceled after the coalition came out against him?
UFC President Dana White made some strong accusations about the United States health care system’s response to Joe Rogan’s COVID-19 treatment advice.
Last week, 270 doctors, scientists, professors, and nurses among others penned an open letter to Spotify calling on the streaming platform to create a misinformation policy. The letter was written as a reaction to a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience that had Dr. Robert Malone on as a guest.
In the letter, the coalition accused Malone of spreading COVID-19 conspiracy theories. They also criticized Rogan for being a consistently negative influence on the public, particularly his younger audience members.
“Well, how about this? Ever since I came out and said what I did, it’s almost impossible now to get monoclonal antibodies,” White said. “They’re making it so you can’t get ’em. Medicine that absolutely works, they’re keeping from (us). I don’t want to get too political and start getting into all this shit, but ivermectin and monoclonal antibodies have been around for a long time. Now all of a sudden you can’t dig ’em up to save your life. Doctors won’t give ’em to ya.
“And even when I did it here in Vegas, which was, however many weeks ago that I had it…I made one phone call and was able to get it done. And that’s not like some fuckin’ rich, famous-guy shit. Like, anybody could’ve called….now, Rogan’s been talking about it, then I went crazy talking about it, you can’t get those things to save your life now, literally.”
White was then asked if he’s surprised that people are not being allowed to even openly discuss alternative treatment options to COVID-19. The UFC boss provided the following strong response.
“It’s disgusting. It’s disgusting,” White said. “Yeah, it’s one of the craziest things I’ve ever witnessed in my life. And we’re not talking about experimental drugs. This stuff’s been around.”
At this point, someone in the audience shouted out, sarcastically asking White if he is a doctor.
“No, but I took ’em, and they both worked for me, so why shouldn’t I be able to take ’em again—or other people?”
After poking fun at the audience member’s outburst as another example of people trying to silence the conversation around this topic, White went on to use the prescription rate of pain relievers as an example of the health care system’s hypocrisy.
“You want to know what’s scary? Bet I can get some fuckin’ pain pills quicker than I can get monoclonal antibodies,” White said. “No, not maybe. That’s a fact. That’s a fact. They fuckin’ hand out pain pills like they’re Tic Tacs….Monoclonal antibodies and ivermectin isn’t gonna do anything to ya. Pain pills kill ya. Fact. And I’m not a doctor, but that’s a fact,” White concluded with a light chuckle.
Brendan Schaub is coming to Joe Rogan’s defense after a coalition of medical professionals and educators called on Spotify to rein in Rogan’s alleged misinformation.
Recently, a letter was published by over 200 doctors, nurses, professors, and scientists imploring Spotify to create a policy to help tackle misinformation on the streaming platform. The specific material the coalition was referencing is the content disseminated and facilitated by Joe Rogan on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
This comes after a controversial episode with Dr. Robert Malone aired last month, with the doctor being accused of “promoting baseless conspiracy theories” regarding COVID-19.
“This is not only a scientific or medical concern; it is a sociological issue of devastating proportions and Spotify is responsible for allowing this activity to thrive on its platform,” the letter wrote regarding JRE & the Dr. Robert Malone episode.
As of this writing, Spotify has not issued a response to this letter, but Rogan’s good buddy and fellow podcaster/comedian Brendan Schaub has addressed the criticisms Rogan has received. Schaub argues that, unlike other mainstream news outlets, Rogan does not have a hidden agenda.
“It’s like you want to shut this doctor down, which [Anthony] Fauci [Chief Medical Advisor to the President] has done over and over again. But I don’t agree with him. He tries to get them canceled. He’s notoriously known for that.
“But also with this it is like hold on, you want to cancel Rogan and this doctor because they don’t agree with what you’re saying? He is more qualified than you guys are… They don’t like that Rogan is this outliner who destroys all of them combined. So they’re trying to censor that… Joe doesn’t have an agenda. If you watch CNN or Fox, there’s an agenda, plan or narrative that they are pushing. Joe is not. (h/t Sportskeeda).
What do you make of all the criticisms against Joe Rogan, including the letter written by the medical coalition that targeted him?
A coalition of over 200 medical professionals and educators have written an open letter to Spotify to implement a “misinformation policy” in response to content disseminated on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
The impetus behind the letter was the December 31, 2021 episode featuring Dr. Robert Malone. In the letter, the authors accuse Spotify of failing to “mitigate the spread of misinformation” by allowing such episodes to stream to an estimated audience of over 11 million people.
The letter accuses Malone of “promoting baseless conspiracy theories” and claims “the JRE has a concerning history of broadcasting misinformation, particularly regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The letter would also accuse Rogan of repeatedly spreading “misleading and false claims on his podcast, provoking distrust in science and medicine.” The authors argue that Rogan has “discouraged vaccination in young people and children, incorrectly claimed that mRNA vaccines are ‘gene therapy,’ promoted off-label use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (contrary to FDA warnings), and spread a number of unsubstantiated conspiracy theories.”
The authors proceed to argue that such information is particularly harmful due to the demographic of the podcast. They state that the average age of JRE listeners is 24 years old and that this is concerning because “unvaccinated 12-34-year-olds are 12 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID than those who are fully vaccinated.”
The impassioned letter continues by stating that medical professionals are directly impacted by the content shared on the JRE podcast, as they have to work overtime to repair “the public’s damaged understanding of science and medicine.”
“This is not only a scientific or medical concern; it is a sociological issue of devastating proportions and Spotify is responsible for allowing this activity to thrive on its platform,” the letter concludes.
Six years ago today, we covered Joe Rogan breaking down what would be needed in order for Ronda Rousey to defeat Holly Holm after her lopsided loss at UFC 193. Once a believer that Rousey could defeat half of the men’s bantamweight roster and Floyd Mayweather, after witnessing “Rowdy’s” first MMA loss, Rogan’s tone shifted.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On this day six years ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 1, 2016, 9:45 AM]
Headline: Joe Rogan Says Rousey Needs “Massive Overhaul” If She Wants To Beat Holm In Rematch
Author: Matt Boone
While there is still a lot of talk about the fight after the fact, it is UFC commentator Joe Rogan who continues to be the most vocal about the potential rematch between Ronda Rousey and UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm.
Rogan recently spoke with BloodyElbow.com and said Rousey needs to replace Edmond Tarverdyan.
“Ronda’s got to go to a camp that has the full arsenal,” Rogan told Stephie Haynes of Bloody Elbow. “She’s got to go to a Firas Zahabi or a Matt Hume, or someone like that, in my opinion. If I was talking to her, that’s what I would tell her. I’d say, ‘You can’t just train with a judo coach and Edmond holds the pads for you.’
“Edmond has definitely done some great things for her boxing technique, that can’t be denied. Her combinations when she hits the pads are very impressive, but there are other elements that come with striking. It’s not just about throwing your hands and having the technique look good.”
Rogan elaborated, explaining why he feels Rousey needs a “massive overhaul” if she wants to have a chance at winning her title back from the former multiple-time women’s boxing champion.
“I think she needs someone who will objectively assess her game as an outsider, not someone like Edmond, who trained her from the beginning with mitts; she needs someone else, as well. She needs someone who is going to be able to look at the big picture of her overall MMA game, and then rebuild.
“She’s gonna need a massive overhaul. When we talk about MMA being high level problem solving, Holly Holm solved the problem. She had all the answers and she got a f*cking A+.”
Rogan, who juggles a stand-up comedy career with his UFC announcing duties, knows what it takes to make it in both worlds. The biggest factor that allows him to be both a celebrity and fight announcer is the fact that he doesn’t have three or four month camps and an insane amount of media obligations for his UFC announcing gigs. It is this reason why Rogan insists “Rowdy” Ronda needs to decide whether she wants to be a “gigantic celebrity” or “the best fighter on the planet.”
“The other advice to Ronda Rousey is you’ve got to figure out what you want to do. Do you want to be a gigantic celebrity or do you want to be the best fighter on the planet? Because if you want to be the best fighter on the planet, you have to pursue that only. I think with this movie bullshit, she could pull it off with some of the girls with all these distractions and all this nonsense, but I don’t think they allow her the amount of resources–mental, physical, everything…all of the above–that she’s going to need at her disposal to be the very best that she can be.
“You don’t want to be good enough, you want to be the best that you can be. I don’t think she was the best that she could be. In my eyes, she was not properly prepared for that fight, whether physically or technically.”
Newly-ranked bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley has criticized comments Joe Rogan made on commentary during his UFC 269 victory over Raulian Paiva.
O’Malley closed out a strong year for “The Suga Show” last weekend at the final pay-per-view of 2021. Having rebounded from his first loss in MMA to Marlon Vera with back-to-back finishes over Thomas Almeida and Kris Moutinho, the 27-year-old aimed to make it three from three against Brazil’s Paiva.
Towards the end of the opening round, O’Malley had the crowd at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on their feet after recording yet another knockout finish. A brutal combination against the cage slumped Paiva and forced the referee to step in. The victory ensured O’Malley’s path to the top remained on track and saw him enter the rankings at #13 in the latest update.
Although in high spirits in the aftermath of his latest triumph, O’Malley did take aim at color commentator Daniel Cormier, something that seems to be a weekly occurrence at the moment, with Dominick Cruz and Alexander Volkanovski also recently expressing their disdain at the former two-division UFC champion’s mic work.
But O’Malley has now set his sights on another man at the desk, renowned podcast host, stand-up comedian, and combat sports enthusiast Joe Rogan.
O’Malley Encourages Rogan To “Form A Knowledgeable Opinion”
Sean O’Malley, Joe Rogan
While Rogan is no longer as present in UFC coverage as he used to be, now only covering the US-based pay-per-views (unless he has a hunting trip, of course), many still see his voice as an integral part of big events and he remains a popular figure. That’s the case for O’Malley, who signs off his post-fight interviews with the veteran broadcaster by saying, “I fucking love you Joe Rogan.”
While the love is still there, it’s seemingly been joined by some heavy frustration. Speaking on a recent episode of his TimboSugarShow podcast, O’Malley slammed the commentary team for pushing a narrative that suggested he is susceptible to leg kicks.
“They said, ‘I don’t know why, when you’re going to fight Sean, you don’t throw more leg kicks. He clearly had a problem in the Chito fight with the leg kicks.’ I fight Thomas Almeida, who’s a fucking good kickboxer, who tried kicking my legs… I countered, he landed a couple, I did a couple good things with the leg kicks. Kris Moutinho, who probably kicked my legs more than Thomas, still kicked my legs.”
The idea that O’Malley can be heavily damaged by low kicks came after he suffered a few injuries whilst in the Octagon, including one that led to the only blemish on his record to date. Against “Chito” Vera in 2020, a kick appeared to connect with O’Malley’s peroneal nerve, essentially giving him a case of ‘drop foot’.
Prior to that, O’Malley suffered an injury towards the end of his decision victory over Andre Soukhamthath, leading to the infamous post-fight interview that saw Rogan speak to “Sugar” while he was being tended to on the mat.
Joe Rogan, Sean O’Malley
Despite maintaining the love he has for the UFC mainstay, O’Malley suggested Rogan hadn’t watched his defeat to Vera enough to form a “knowledgeable opinion.”
“You can just say anything on the mic. Everyone knows how much I fucking love Joe Rogan. I say it after my fights… He might have watched that Chito fight one time while he was sitting there and then his opinion is what he saw right there. But dude, he got one kick that hit my nerve… He did land a couple of good leg kicks after that, but I was on one leg and I still pieced him up. If you’re gonna commentate and bring up that fight, every single time I fight, go watch it and form a knowledgeable opinion about it.” (h/t Sportskeeda)
O’Malley’s claim is fairly similar to Cruz’s remarks about “DC.” The former two-time bantamweight titleholder accused Cormier of not watching enough tape and doing enough research to be able to call fights correctly.
But unlike that case, which saw many in the community agree with “The Dominator,” the narrative that O’Malley can be compromised by heavy leg kicks has been pretty prevalent, especially since his setback last year.
Was Joe Rogan wrong to suggest Sean O’Malley is susceptible to leg kicks?
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor recently made waves by showing what appeared to be an incredibly bulked-up physique, but Joe Rogan doesn’t think all is as it originally seemed.
For the first time since 2016, McGregor entered the Octagon twice in the same calendar year in 2021. But while he avenged a loss to Nate Diaz and became the first-ever simultaneous UFC double champ five years ago, his fortunes have been less favorable across the last 12 months.
Having re-visited his rivalry with Dustin Poirier, whom he defeated back in 2014, McGregor saw his score with “The Diamond” fall from 1-0 to 1-2 in the space of six months. On Fight Island in January, the Irishman was knocked out for the first time. Fast-forward to July and a trash-talking iteration of McGregor left the cage on a stretcher after breaking his leg.
Since his injury at UFC 264, McGregor has continually updated fans on his healing process and teased a return; in-between his antics outside the cage, of course. Earlier this month, the 33-year-old posted an image that appeared to suggest he’d packed on a significant amount of muscle. The upload even led many to believe he could be gearing up for a return to the welterweight division next year.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXh9PErtm5F/
Discussing the image of McGregor and the Irishman’s current physical state during an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, renowned UFC color commentator Rogan suggested the picture was slightly “deceptive.”
According to the 54-year-old, who has been a consistent figure at the commentary desk since 2002, McGregor may have been lifting weights at the time, something which would have accentuated his physique when the photo was taken.
“That’s him now, he’s super jacked. USADA’s gonna take a visit to him very soon. It’s a weird picture, honestly. I mean, he’s definitely jacked, but it looks to me like he’s in the middle of lifting. If you see a guy’s body in the middle of lifting, it’s a little deceptive… He’s still jacked. He still looks great. But when you lift weights, as you do it, like those bodybuilders go on stage before those big Mr. Olympia things, they all get pumped… He looks good though.”
McGregor Targets A Return To The Octagon In 2022
McGregor’s increased training and noticeable muscular gain appears to be in preparation for a return to the Octagon in 2022. With his fast-healing leg getting closer to full recovery, the Irishman appears as eager as ever to make the walk again, something he’s consistently expressed on social media.
After Charles Oliveira successfully defended his gold against McGregor’s rival Poirier, “The Notorious” megastar posted a series of tweets signaling his intent for a title clash with “Do Bronx” and another edition of Ireland vs. Brazil.
As well as a potential trilogy clash with Nate Diaz, the likes of Michael Chandler and Max Holloway have also made their desire to face MMA’s biggest superstar well known.
Who would you like to see Conor McGregor face in his return fight?
Dana White says he is now completely rid of COVID-19 a mere five days after testing positive for the virus, and he says he and his entire family has Joe Rogan to thank for it.
The following is what White had to say about his discussion with Rogan and the treatment he was recommended to take:
“I get up, 9 o’clock Monday morning, and I get tested,” White continued. “He said get monoclonal antibodies in you as soon as possible, so I did. By noon, I had the monoclonal antibodies in me. Then he told me to do a NAD drip. I did that right after. The next day – so Sunday at 8 o’clock at night I have no taste or smell. I get up Tuesday getting ready to shave. Cleaning my razor, I could smell the alcohol. My taste and smell were back by the next day by 11 o’clock. Then I took a dose of ivermectin. Then yesterday I did a vitamin drip, and today I’m doing another NAD drip.
“Never felt better. I’m feeling like a million bucks. I’m doing two-a-day workouts for the next 10 days while I have COVID and I’m in quarantine. I got my smell and taste back in less than 24 hours.”
Dana White And Family Now COVID Free
Days later, TMZ caught up with Dana White for an update on his health status. Not only is Dana White now testing negative for COVID, but his entire family is also on the mend after taking Rogan’s advice.
“I’m incredible. Today is Day 5 (since I) tested positive for COVID. And today, this morning at 9 o’clock, I tested negative. Thank you, Dr. Joe Rogan!”
Rogan has been widely criticized for recommending ivermectin be used to treat COVID, with sources such as the FDA and the BBC stating that the drug is not intended for human usage.
The legitimacy of such warnings has been widely disputed, with the doubters often being associated with ring-wing ties. There have been reports as recent as four months ago of ivermectin gaining momentum in places such as Latin America and India. Readers are encouraged to do their own research and form their own opinions on the matter beyond this snapshot overview of the issue.
As far as Dana White is concerned, every time he looks at his family is all the proof he needs about the efficacy of Joe Rogan’s treatment regimen. And if that’s not enough proof, there’s a whole host of others who swear by Rogan’s advice, says White.
“And himself, he did it himself, and like 40 other people that he’s close to he’s done this with,” White said of the number of people Rogan has helped with his advice. “And here’s the reality. In all seriousness, Joe Rogan is a brilliant guy and he talks to the most brilliant people out there. He studies, he does his homework on all this stuff.
“And it’s a fact that this works, and not just me. So me and my wife are both 53 years old. We both did it. My daughter is 15 years old. She did it. My mother-in-law is 80 years old. She did it. When I was sitting here waiting to talk to you, my mother-in-law went strolling by here. She’s on her way over to get a massage. Everybody feels like a million bucks, man.”
What do you make of Dana White’s testimony in favor of Joe Rogan’s medical advice?
The UFC bossman himself, Dana White, and his entire family have tested positive for COVID-19.
White revealed the news on The Jim Rome Podcast, stating that he and his family were in isolation after testing positive for the virus despite at least him having the vaccine. He explained that they had gone to Maine to see family as a Thanksgiving tradition and contracted the virus there.
White then explained that while isolating, shortly after finding out he was positive, he followed the advice of UFC commentator, podcaster, and comedian Joe Rogan. Rogan has been a hot topic of discussion in recent months for the way he handled his own COVID-19 diagnosis. Using the likes of Ivermectin, monoclonal antibodies, and more, the UFC president said that his mild symptoms of the virus had passed within a day.
“We just went up to my place in Maine and for Thanksgiving. It’s tradition. We go up there, and somebody had it, and we get back, and we all tested positive for COVID. Literally, the whole family and my family up in Maine, too,” White said (h/t MMAJunkie).
“We got back on Saturday. On Sunday, I cold plunge and steam every day,” White said. “So I get out of the cold plunge and steam, and I spray the eucalyptus and I was like, ‘What the hell?’ I couldn’t smell anything. So I opened the bottle and start sniffing the bottle of eucalyptus, and I couldn’t smell and I was like, ‘I know what this means.’ I literally got out of the steam and got on my phone and called Joe Rogan.
“I get up, 9 o’clock Monday morning, and I get tested,” White continued. “He said get monoclonal antibodies in you as soon as possible, so I did. By noon, I had the monoclonal antibodies in me. Then he told me to do a NAD drip. I did that right after. The next day – so Sunday at 8 o’clock at night I have no taste or smell. I get up Tuesday getting ready to shave. Cleaning my razor, I could smell the alcohol. My taste and smell were back by the next day by 11 o’clock. Then I took a dose of ivermectin. Then yesterday I did a vitamin drip, and today I’m doing another NAD drip.
“Never felt better. I’m feeling like a million bucks. I’m doing two-a-day workouts for the next 10 days while I have COVID and I’m in quarantine. I got my smell and taste back in less than 24 hours.”
Of course, the primary concern is the health and safety of Dana White, and it is great to see that he is doing better and that the advice from Joe Rogan helped him. Whether you agree with those choices or not, everyone wants to see the same outcome, which is people recovering well if they do catch COVID-19.
