Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White revealed Monday on a podcast that he threatened to resign from the company to protect host Joe Rogan from getting fired.
White appeared on Lex Fridman’s podcast to discuss his friendship with Rogan and how the two have worked together over the years to build up the UFC brand. Fridman brought up a phone interaction between White and Rogan from sometime last year, stating that the UFC was attempting to push Rogan out due to “getting canceled” over an issue. (RELATED: Katt Williams Leaves Rogan Speechless After Linking Transgenderism To Occult Rituals, Hollywood Propaganda)
White expressed his loyalty to Rogan and others he has worked with over the years and highlighted how he would never be the type of person to “roll over” on others. The UFC CEO said as long as he is in his position his loyalty will always remain.
“I value loyalty a lot,” Fridman said. “And I remember there was a moment, not too long ago – maybe a year ago, and I was sitting with Joe and he had a phone call with you. Joe was getting canceled for something and they didn’t want him commentating the fights. You, on the phone, offered your resignation over this. I got teary-eyed over that. That’s such a – you’re a good man. You know? That was powerful.”
“Anybody who is with me, who has been with me, knows when you’re with me, you’re with me,” White responded. “It’s a two-way street. It’s not it’s not a one-way street. I’m not one of these guys that’s gonna roll over. It’s like going through COVID … Some of these people have been with me for 20 years. We’re gonna lay them off? This motherf*cker will burn, burn before I would do that to my people.”
“It’s just never – none of that type of stuff is ever going to happen while I’m here,” White continued. “I can’t say what’s going to 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 and again, it’s a two-way street. Joe Rogan has been very loyal to me, and I’m very loyal to Joe Rogan.”
Rogan received backlash online in 2022 after old videos of his podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience” had resurfaced showing him stating the “n-word” several times. The videos additionally came after Rogan was already being hit on his COVID-19 stance, in which some had claimed he was spreading misinformation.
While the backlash eventually blew over, companies that were tied to Rogan, such as the UFC, began to feel pressure to react to the issue.