AUSTIN, TEXAS: Joe Rogan was trolled when a comment he made during UFC 58 about fighters making 30 times more money than they were making in 2006 recently resurfaced.
Since making his UFC commentary debut at UFC 12, Rogan has been a well-known name, and he has never been afraid to express his opinions on the problems facing the sport.
He has regularly spoken his unfiltered thoughts, whether it is in support of fighting on basketball courts, in opposition to the restriction on 12-6 elbows, or in discussions about fighter pay.
Netizens troll Joe Rogan over his comment about fighters making more money
With well-known fighters like Francis Ngannou publicly expressing their concerns, the debate about compensation in the UFC has recently gathered traction.
In a resurfaced clip, Joe Rogan can be heard saying, "My only wish is that these guys were making about 30 times what they’re making now… and, uh, soon that will be the case, I’m sure," during the UFC 58 match that took place in 2006.
Soon the Internet erupted with users demanding to know whether the UFC commentator is truly cares about the interests of the fighters as many shared their viewpoint on the topic.
One said, "Well, I guess you know “soon” is relative, any day now," while another stated, "David was never the same after that fight, and all for $9k smh."
A fan of mixed martial arts noted, "Hilarious line 17 years later. Also, one of the worst fights in MMA history. I watched it live at the time and have never again."
"Rich franklin made $58,000 USD for his. MW title win here against David Loisiau. Israel Adesanya made $1.18 million for his TKO MW title win over Alex Periera. It's almost exactly 30x more now," remarked a user, with a person saying, "I feel like they paid David Loiseau like 30 bucks for his whole UFC career."
"A month later Goldie and Rogan will say that fighters are making more than ever while also announcing that Matt Wiman had quit his job going into his loss to Spencer Fisher. Matt made 3k. Spencer made 14k," quipped another person.
Francis Ngannou’s take on UFC fighters’ pay
Francis Ngannou discussed the supposed pay of UFC fighters in his interview with 'The MMA Hour'. In order to make the move to professional boxing, he had stated his wish for a new three-fight contract, which he intended to finish within a year.
He expected to make over $8 million from his matchup with Jon Jones at UFC 285. After that, he intended to finish a trilogy with Stipe Miocic and fight Jones again before switching to boxing, where the possibility of lucrative matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua awaited.
Ngannou's opposition to the normal UFC deal proved to be a big roadblock, however, and ultimately led to the termination of the contract.
During the interview, he explained, "In that contract, I’m not free, I’m not an independent contractor. I have no rights. I hand over all the power to you guys. I’ve seen in the past how you guys can utilize your power against me, and I don’t want that."
Notably, he decided to pursue a boxing career and reportedly received $10 million for his October 28 debut fight against Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia. Ngannou also signed one of the most lucrative contracts with PFL ever made available to an MMA fighter.
