Joe Rogan thinks elite-level fighters should look to make their way to the UFC if they truly want to maximize their position in MMA.
The longtime UFC commentator, like many voices in the MMA community, see the UFC as the ultimate proving ground for fighters to show that they’re truly the best in the world.
Rogan hosted top MMA prospect Bo Nickal on the most recent episode of his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” and Nickal revealed how he felt the UFC was the only organization he truly wanted to sign with when assessing his future. Nickal said the UFC was the spot he dreamed of when thinking of establishing a legacy, and Rogan understood that position, because he “often” feels world-class fighters outside the UFC aren’t able to truly prove their talent.
“No disrespect to the other organizations, there’s very good fighters in the other organizations, but I often feel like they’re wasting their career,” Rogan told Nickal. “Because I see these elite fighters that are fighting in Bellator or PFL, and I’m like, ‘Hey guys, no one’s watching.’
“I mean, some people are watching. You’re getting a little bit of a fanbase. I don’t want to disrespect. But, there’s a reality. There’s the XFL and there’s the CFL, then there’s the f*cking NFL. And if you’re not in the f*cking NFL, are you really playing football?”
Even after the PFL recent acquired Bellator to solidify the firmest No. 2 the industry has seen in years, there’s no denying the UFC still has a stranglehold on the biggest players in the game. That’s why Rogan thinks the prestige that comes with being a UFC champion, compared to other promotions, hits much different.
“If you’re the UFC champ, you’re the f*cking man.” Rogan said. “If you’re the Bellator champ, I respect the sh*t out of those guys. I love them. Guys like Johnny Eblen. I really wish that guy would come to the UFC.”
Additionally, Rogan thinks the entirety of the UFC operation, and the cache that comes with it, resonates until unlike anything else the sport has to offer.
“There’s this feeling of being in the UFC that everyone dreams of,” Rogan said. “You want Bruce Buffer right in front of you going, ‘It’s time!’ And you’re like, ‘Holy sh*t.'”
