“Very authentic, he wants to learn!” Ex-UFC champ surprisingly reveals Joe Rogan was student under him in martial arts

Joe Rogan is one of the most recognizable faces in the UFC. However, his commitments to his podcast and commentary career have limited his time in the UFC commentary booth. Rogan was a kickboxer before he concentrated on his comedy career. He is also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Recently, former UFC champion Vitor Belfort revealed an interesting thing about Rogan.

Belfort was a recent guest on the JAXXON podcast. On the podcast, Belfort revealed that he was the BJJ teacher of many notable personalities, including Joe Rogan. This is what he said about it on the podcast.

Joe Rogan was my student. He was a white belt. So, he had just moved to LA, to Hollywood. We had a Carlson Gracie Gym in West Hollywood, and he was training there. I was teaching him; he was a white belt. He wanted to learn. Joe was so humble, very authentic, he wants to learn. He was eager to be there and try. And you could tell he was so into it. He's almost like a great martial artist. He is a great martial artist who never fought.

Vitor Belfort via JAXXON Podcast

Joe Rogan’s credentials in BJJ and striking are evident in his commentary of the fight. Rogan was the first notable name on the bandwagon of Alex Pereira when the Brazilian signed with the UFC. In addition to MMA, Rogan closely follows Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and BJJ competitions.

Belfort retired from MMA at UFC 224 when Lyoto Machida knocked him out with the iconic front kick. However, he is now active in boxing. He recently fought fellow UFC veteran Ronaldo Souza in the boxing ring and won via decision. Moreover, Belfort has a knockout victory over Evander Holyfield in an exhibition bout. In the UFC, Belfort has fought great UFC champions like Jon Jones and Anderson Silva, to name a few.

Vitor Belfort calls Joe Rogan the second Dana White

UFC CEO Dana White is one of the main reasons for the UFC’s popularity. White, along with the Fertitta brothers, transformed the UFC into the mainstream sports promotion it is now. Even though Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta sold the promotion, White still spearheaded the promotion. Another long-time employee of the UFC is Joe Rogan, the color commentator.

On the JAXXON podcast, Vitor Belfort called Rogan the second Dana White for his contribution to MMA’s popularity. Belfort even went on to say that Rogan is one of the best athletes to never compete in MMA. There was a time when rumors speculated that Rogan would make his UFC debut against Hollywood star Wesley Snipes. Unfortunately, it did not materialize.

Rogan still popularizes MMA by hosting fighters on his podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience. Nonetheless, Rogan has recently come under criticism for his commentary due to his lack of knowledge of fighters. However, fighters respect Rogan and support Rogan in the commentary booth.

In case you missed it!

• “I don’t think we should tell people,” Joe Rogan REFUSES to reveal Alex Pereira’s ‘secret’ he learnt at comedy club
• “There’s a real argument there…” Joe Rogan reacts to Dana White’s UFC facing $1.6 Billion lawsuit against fighters

Stay Updated!

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW