Joe Rogan Reveals “Scary” Story of Executed Iranian Wrestler That Dana White & Donald Trump Tried to Save

Joe Rogan recently discussed a terrible incident on the JRE podcast, emphasizing the grave repercussions of speaking out against a regime. He described how dissent in Iran is greeted with severe retaliation, with even the slightest accusation of opposing the regime carrying irrevocable effects. This terrible reality became even clearer in the case of the late Navid Afkari. Such was the scenario surrounding his passing that even UFC CEO Dana White and President Donald Trump took unusual steps to intervene, hoping to prevent a tragedy that would capture the world’s attention.

On JRE #2309, Rogan claimed that UFC boss Dana White was extremely moved by the situation and worked feverishly behind the scenes to avoid the tragedy. White, along with the Trump administration, made direct appeals to the Iranian authorities, trying to save the life of the Iranian wrestler. Their efforts included high-level talks and pressure on the United States president to intervene, but the Iranian regime responded with silence and indifference.

Rogan said, “The UFC even tried to get them to stop—they pleaded to try to get him to stop. They tried to get Trump to get him to—or was it during the Biden administration or the Trump administration? I don’t remember. But they tried to get the president to somehow or another talk to Iran and not kill this guy.”

The UFC’s efforts to try and halt the execution were an unusual move from a sports organization to influence an international human rights issue. Navid Afkari was suspected of murdering a security guard at an anti-government protest. He constantly maintained his innocence, alleging that his confession was obtained through torture. The case received widespread international attention, with human rights organizations condemning the Iranian government’s conduct.

The UFC’s efforts to intervene, combined with Trump’s public plea, generated global headlines, but it became evident that the regime was determined to carry out the execution despite international outcry, and so they did. To this, Joe Rogan added, “You don’t even have to really have spoken against the government—that’s what’s so scary. You just have to be accused of speaking against the government.”

Despite their best efforts, the intervention did not result in a change, but it highlighted how athletes, organizations, and even public figures can use their platforms to raise awareness about such unfortunate incidents. However, this isn’t the first time that the JRE host has talked about the execution. In the past, he also made the major claim that if someone as nice as the Iranian wrestler can get executed, then nobody is safe in the country.

Joe Rogan’s past take on the shocking execution

Joe Rogan previously made a poignant remark on his show about the execution of Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari. Reflecting on the incident, the JRE host stressed the message the regime intended to make by executing someone as popular as Afkari, a national hero. He argued that if they could execute someone like him, no one was genuinely safe in this country. He said, “It seems like what they were/are doing was just making sure that people were scared.”

During his interview with Olympic gold medalist Dan Gable, the UFC commentator questioned the charges against Afkari, particularly the assertion that he murdered a sanitation worker. Gable shared similar suspicion, claiming that the government’s claims were more likely a lie designed to silence criticism. Both Joe Rogan and Gable concluded that Afkari’s murder was politically motivated as a tragic result of his participation in peaceful rallies against government corruption.

Rogan’s commentary, coupled with support from others such as wrestler Sally Roberts, shed emphasis on the larger human rights concerns surrounding Afkari’s death. The US State Department criticized the conduct, citing it as a warning to the Iranian people amid growing unrest. The wrestling community, including Joe Rogan, Gable, and Roberts, used their platforms to draw attention to the unjust killing, highlighting the significance of defending the freedom to protest and the necessity for worldwide solidarity in such circumstances. What do you think? Was this actually a setup by the Iranian regime? Let us know in the comments.