Joe Rogan to Return for Next UFC Event After Sitting Out This Weekend
Joe Rogan is sitting out ESPN’s broadcast of UFC 271, but his hiatus isn’t expected to last for long.
The embattled Spotify podcast host and UFC commentator will not cover this weekend’s mixed martial arts event on Saturday at the Toyota Center in Houston, with the absence attributed to a scheduling conflict, but he will be back for the next pay-per-view UFC event, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Boxer and YouTuber Jake Paul was among those reacting to Rogan’s absence from the bout between fighters Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker. In a tweet sent Friday, Paul criticized UFC president Dana White and Disney CEO Bob Chapek while defending Rogan. “So ESPN and Disney pull Joe Rogan from the UFC broadcast but stand behind Dana White who calls reporters douche bags, says a female fighter looks like a male fighter in dress and heels, and claims brain damage is part of the gig? You pulled the wrong guy Mr. Chapek,” Paul wrote.
Representatives for ESPN and UFC declined to comment.
Rogan has been the subject of numerous recent headlines after Neil Young and other musicians asked Spotify to pull their music in response to the popular podcast host having spread misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Fear Factor alum has also been in the spotlight due to recently resurfaced clips of him previously using the n-word.
Rogan responded to the resurfaced clips by apologizing in a video posted to Instagram and saying that the footage of himself “looks fucking horrible, even to me.” During his Tuesday podcast episode, Rogan referred to the media scrutiny of his remarks as “a political hit job.”
In a letter from Spotify CEO Daniel Ek sent to staff earlier this month, the exec acknowledged Rogan’s comments as “incredibly hurtful” but maintained that the podcaster would remain on the platform.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
Solve the daily Crossword
