For Dana White, there’s no UFC without Joe Rogan.
Rogan, the popular podcast host and longtime UFC commentator, was under fire in early 2022 when he was accused of spreading COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” which was exclusive to Spotify at the time. An outraged Neil Young demanded that his music be removed from Spotify in protest of Rogan remaining on the streaming platform.
Around the same time, Rogan also had a montage video of him using the N-word resurface online and, as a result, Rogan was absent from his commentary duties for UFC 271. Appearing on Lex Fridman’s podcast, White was asked about Rogan amid the controversy and how he apparently threatened to resign if Rogan could no longer commentate UFC fights.
Now, White never said those words himself but thanked Fridman for calling him a good man.
“Anybody who is with me, has been with me, knows, when you’re with me, you’re with me,” White said. “It’s a two-way street. It’s not a one-way street. I’m not one of these guys that is going to roll over. It’s like going through COVID. I wasn’t laying any of these people off. Some of these people have been with me for 20 years. We’re going to lay them off?
“This motherf*cker will burn –…
