The fight community is already familiar with the friendship between UFC head honcho Dana White and commentator Joe Rogan, who has been part of the promotion since its valuation was around $20 million. Now, more than two decades later, these two continue to impact the promotion in their ways, CEO with his business-savvy tactics and Rogan with his colorful commentary. Together, they have helped elevate the promotion’s value to over $4 billion.

Even the story behind Joe Rogan and Dana White’s burgeoning friendship is no less than a tale worthy of a biographical movie script. The way White hired podcaster is fascinating, as he has been vocal from time to time about how Rogan “did the first 12 or 13 shows for free.” Recently, the UFC head honcho shared more details about how the podcaster reacted when he approached him to do the event, illustrating how their conversation unfolded.

How did Joe Rogan respond to Dana White’s offer for the UFC commentary job?

It’s no secret to MMA fans that when the Fertitta brothers and Dana White acquired the UFC, it was struggling financially, nearly on the verge of losing $40 million in a legal battle. During this time, Dana White, impressed by Joe Rogan’s love for the sport, reached out to him to see if he would be interested in joining as a commentator. White recently recalled this incident on the 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast, saying, “I don’t remember how we ended up reaching out, but I reached out to him somehow. We started talking, hit it off, and I wanted him to come in and commentate. And, you know, we’re f***ing bleeding money—yeah, bleeding money.”

Without hesitation, Rogan accepted White’s offer, even agreeing to do it for free. White shared, “So Rogan comes in and says, ‘Let me get this straight: you want me to cover the sport I love the most in the world, sit in the best seats in the house, and talk about it? Yeah, I’ll do it for f***ing free!'” This moment marked the start of podcaster and White’s long-standing friendship, which has been spotlighted on multiple occasions.

However, the claim that the UFC CEO hired Rogan came under scrutiny months ago when UFC co-creator Campbell McLaren dismissed White’s account, stating that he was the one who hired Rogan, though not for his MMA expertise.

Campbell McLaren shut down Dana White’s claim about Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan’s journey to becoming the voice of the UFC is a story Dana White loves to tell—how he hired Rogan for his deep knowledge of MMA and boundless passion for the sport. But not everyone’s thrilled with that narrative. UFC co-creator Campbell McLaren has made it very clear that he’s not too happy with his credit being overshadowed by the bromance between Rogan and White.

Last month, McLaren took to X to set the record straight, throwing some serious shade at Rogan. “I sincerely wonder if, like Biden, @joerogan is having memory lapses,” McLaren quipped. “Joe seems to have forgotten it was me, not Dana White, who hired him.” Ouch. The analogy to Biden’s rumored health issues wasn’t subtle, and neither was McLaren’s frustration.

Then, just days later, another controversy sparked when a fan tried to tell McLaren that the UFC should have brought Rogan in during the early ’90s for his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expertise. McLaren didn’t hold back, correcting the fan with a jab: “It was my TV comedy background that enabled me to pick Rogan and Brian Kilmeade, who was an aspiring comedian back then. I started UFC in 1993. Dana came in 2000.” Clearly, McLaren wants the world to remember his role in picking the talent that shaped the UFC’s early broadcast days.

There’s no denying that Joe Rogan has become an integral part of the UFC’s identity, and Dana White’s stories about their early days together only amplify that legacy. But with McLaren now stepping into the fray, it’s evident there’s more to the story of how Rogan landed the gig. What are your thoughts on Dana White’s remark? Do you think Rogan really did a few dozen UFC events for free, or is that just another piece of folklore? Drop your opinion below.