“If you’re going to be the best, you kind of have to be in the UFC,” said Joe Rogan this week on his JRE podcast. With that, Rogan framed the promotion as the combat sports “leader,” the ultimate proving ground for rising MMA talent where Dana White & Co. deliver unmatched star power, putting fighters on a global stage.

Of course, no fighter wants to miss this moment, and the billion-dollar promotion has launched icons like Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Naturally, every up-and-coming fighter dreams of being the next McGregor. Still, UFC co-creator Campbell McLaren isn’t buying Joe Rogan’s claim and recently challenged his remark.

UFC co-creator pushes back against Joe Rogan’s UFC comments

“The UFC is a style of MMA. There are other styles like Combate Global. In CG, Jiu-Jitsu is used defensively more than offensively. When time limits and weight classes were added to The UFC, it was no longer a ‘pure’ fight, so now it is a style of fight. And styles make fights!” wrote Campbell McLaren on X, reposting Joe Rogan’s comments calling the UFC a combat sports “leader.”

Campbell McLaren, often called the father of the UFC, drew inspiration from the video game Mortal Kombat to build a platform to find the ultimate fighter. Back in 1993, when the UFC held its first event on November 12, McLaren helped shape the landmark event.

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In an X thread, a fan pointed out the UFC’s original concept of no weight classes and no rules. McLaren replied, “100% When I started the UFC with Rorion Gracie, the idea was no rules, weight classes, or time. Who and what style was the best fighter?”

After leaving the UFC, McLaren kept influencing modern MMA by launching ventures like Iron Rings and his latest project, Combate Global (formerly Combate Americas), a promotion that mainly targets Hispanic and Latin audiences.

Over time, Combate Global positioned itself as the premier Hispanic MMA franchise alongside the UFC. Even in 2021, it ranked among the fastest-growing MMA properties. And last year, the promotion signed a deal to stream live events on YouTube in Spanish for free, making fights instantly accessible to fans.

Also, Campbell McLaren hasn’t shied away from publicly correcting UFC commentator Joe Rogan, as their head-butting relationship has drawn attention over the years.

Campbell McLaren calls out Joe Rogan regarding who truly hired him

A common myth in the MMA world claims that Dana White hired Joe Rogan out of love, passion, and respect for the sport. Actually, after watching tapes from The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show, both Rogan and White echoed that view. But Campbell McLaren has always challenged this story.

Back in 2024, he dismissed the podcaster’s assertion, stating, “I sincerely wonder if, like Biden, @joerogan is having memory lapses. Joe seems to have forgotten it was me, not Dana White, that hired him.”

Later, McLaren clarified in another tweet that the UFC didn’t hire the podcaster just for his passion for MMA. He emphasized that he brought Rogan on for his stand-up comedy skills and hosting expertise. McLaren also revealed that his first choice had been Brian Kilmeade, but Joe Rogan won him over with his distinctive voice and unique style.

The 58-year-old even handled some of the UFC’s smaller commentary events for free when the promotion was struggling to stay afloat.

How do you rate Joe Rogan’s commentary skills? Give a score from 1 to 10 and share your thoughts below.