After UFC 240, Joe Rogan’s commentary was as big of story as any of the fights. Does he detract from UFC broadcasts?
Frank Hyden MMATorch Columnist
Yes. As much as I like Rogan and think his podcast can be a valuable tool in terms of exposing people to different perspectives and educating you on political and social topics, his UFC work is just not all that great. He clearly has the knowledge but it’s also clear that he doesn’t do much in the way of preparing for the broadcasts. That’s not necessarily a horrible thing, but you have to change one very important thing. If Rogan were more outspoken and willing to criticize the product, like Charles Barkley from TNT, then you’d really have something. If Rogan spoke for the casual fan, then he wouldn’t need to do a bunch of prep work. If he started calling out boring fights and fighters and questioning why certain guys get title shots over others, that would be way more entertaining.
Of course, there’s no way the UFC would allow that to happen, but I’d take anyone doing that over what they currently have. Pretty much all sports are guilty of this. They have a highly prepared play-by-play announcer, which is what you want. However, they also want a highly prepared and rehearsed sounding color commentator. The person doing color is supposed to be colorful and exciting, not a slightly different version of the play-by-play person.
I like Rogan as a person, but not so much as a commentator. It seems that his heart isn’t into it anymore. If that’s the case, he might be happier stepping aside. Or taking a lesser role.
Michael Hiscoe MMATorch Columnist
No, I don’t think Joe Rogan is a net negative to UFC broadcasts. In fact, I think he still has a lot to offer. His knowledge and enthusiasm when calling shows are still excellent. Sure, Dominick Cruz might have more technical knowledge and Daniel Cormier might have more enthusiasm for the sport right now, but the overall package Rogan brings is still tough to beat. He takes the narrative in a questionable direction from time to time and UFC 240 wasn’t his best night, but I still look forward to having him on the call once a month.
Robert Vallejos MMATorch Managing Editor
No. UFC 240 was an exceptionally bad night, but since he has scaled back his UFC duties, his quality actually seems to have risen. As long as he is not paired with Dominick Cruz, I feel that he adds to content of each pay-per-view. I do not believe his commentary is motivated by his employment with the UFC…I just think he should rewatch Cyborg vs. Spencer.
Sean Covington MMATorch Contributor
He absolutely did, because he was being completely dishonest. I expect so much better from Joe Rogan, he has earned the spot he has, but there is no excuse for him abusing his power. Rogan used to do the same thing for Ronda Rousey so I’m not surprised. It doesn’t really matter because Dana White loves dishonesty so nothing will change.
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