Joe Rogan believes MMA legends were ‘coaxed with money’ to sign with Dana White’s new competition
UFC commentator Joe Rogan discusses the rise of new MMA promotions in addition to Dana White's organization.
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Joe Rogan reacts to the emerging competions of Dana White's UFC (Image via Imago)
In the current professional MMA landscape, a new wave of emerging promotions is capturing attention. One such buzzing promotion is the Global Fight League (GFL), which will launch in a few months. Ahead of its inauguration, both UFC CEO Dana White and commentator Joe Rogan have shared their reactions to GFL.
UFC commentator Joe Rogan is one of the most popular podcasters in the world. In a recent episode of his podcast, he, along with several other prominent figures from the MMA community, discussed the Global Fight League. They were particularly intrigued by the number of former UFC fighters and MMA legends signed by the promotion.
Oh My God, Shogun’s back, Fabricio Werdum is back. I thought Fabricio retired, there a lot of people retired right? They decided to f**king, they coaxed him in with the money.
Joe Rogan via JRE Fight Companion – February 8, 2025
Rogan appeared surprised by the number of retired fighters who are signing with GFL. Notable retired MMA fighters like Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, Luke Rockhold, and Benson Henderson are set to come out of retirement to compete in this emerging promotion. One possible reason for this trend may be the substantial financial incentives they are offered. As such, even the UFC CEO Dana White highlighted this.
GFL is mentioned on the JRE Fight Companion.
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) February 10, 2025
Brendan Schaub says the main fight he was told about was Dillon Danis vs. Tony Ferguson. pic.twitter.com/AWqTyNsfxF
Recently, White expressed his views on the burgeoning MMA promotion, Global Fight League. During this discussion, he was specifically asked about the notable addition of former UFC star Tony Ferguson to the promotion. In his response, the UFC CEO appeared to overlook the significance of GFL’s rapid rise in popularity. Nonetheless, White extended his heartfelt wishes for the organization’s future success.
Dana White claims the rise of competition doesn’t affect him
The UFC is arguably one of the premier MMA promotions in the world. Over its more than a decade-long existence, the organization has transformed from being widely disliked to enjoying tremendous success. In addition, many other promotions in the combat sports arena have emerged over the years, attempting to achieve similar success to that of Dana White’s UFC.
Interestingly, White has always aimed to maintain a monopoly in the combat sports world, particularly in MMA. However, the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and the upcoming Global Fight League (GFL) are set to compete directly with the UFC. Despite this competition, the UFC CEO remains unfazed, given the promotion’s success and popularity.
When people ask me about you—and I’m not saying this to be arrogant or whatever—I don’t consider any of those guys competition anymore. I don’t even… yeah, if this new organization that’s popping up is paying a lot of these older fighters and these guys can make money, awesome. I’m all for it. But I don’t even think about that stuff anymore.
Dana White via TheMacLife (Check from 5:32)
While many former UFC stars have moved to other promotions, some have remained loyal to Dana White’s organization. Notably, UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen has expressed that, unlike many others, he is unfazed by the buzz surrounding emerging promotions, particularly GFL. It will be interesting to see how things unfold after Global Fight League’s launch.
Related: Tony Ferguson wife: Who is Cristina Servine and how did she meet ‘El Cucuy’?
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Nilaav Gogoi
(621 Articles Published)