Joe Rogan says it's possible he'll exit UFC after contract ends in August
UFC color commentator Joe Rogan first started working for the promotion in 1997 doing backstage interviews. But with his contract coming to an end in 2016, there's a chance he might walk away from his current duties calling fights alongside Mike Goldberg.
Rogan revealed his current contract situation on his podcast on Wednesday while speaking to flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. It was Johnson who broached the subject and asked Rogan how much longer he felt he would continue to do commentary for the UFC.
"I don't know. My contract's up in August. I might leave in August. It's possible," Rogan revealed. "I like doing s**t that scares me. I like taking chances. I like walking away from things. I like doing that, I like experiencing new things. You open up new doors, your mind starts firing in a different way. I'm not a big fan of doing the same s**t over and over and over again.
"Like when I do standup comedy, I have to go to different places. I have The Comedy Store that's like my main spot, but I like to go to weird spots. I'll do an open mic night in the middle of f**king nowhere. I think it's really important. I like to go to new places, I like to travel, I like to get in my car and just drive places. Just get out of my car and walk around and check out places."
Now, Rogan's revelation doesn't mean he's leaving in August or maybe anytime in the near future, but he's not shutting the door on the idea either.
No matter what happens, Rogan promises that he'll always be a massive fan of the UFC and mixed martial arts in general, but there will come a day when he no longer wants to sit behind the microphone and call the fights.
"I think you've got to experience different things in life and I like to plan those things out. I've been doing the UFC for a long time. I will never stop being a UFC fan, that's not going to happen, I love the sport, but there's probably going to come a time where I don't do commentary anymore and it might be sooner than later or it might not," Rogan said. "August might roll around and I might say 'you know what I f**king love this, let's keep doing this' but I might not too. I don't know."
Whether Rogan actually opts to leave the UFC after August remains to be seen, but the UFC has continued to groom additional talent to do color commentary over the last few years as the number of shows grew exponentially.
Former WEC champion Brian Stann has become a fan favorite with his commentary during many of the international cards and shows that air on FS1, as well as former lightweight contender Kenny Florian, who also calls fights from time to time.
If Rogan ever decide to stop doing commentary his replacement will have some big shoes to fill, but there's no telling when that day might come.
"I love it. It's not that I don't love it. It's just that I love doing a lot of other s**t too," Rogan said.
"I don't think that my love for MMA will ever die off but it's very possible that I won't want to do it as a career sometime in the future."
