Joe Rogan addressed the persistent issue of UFC fans booing grappling exchanges during a recent episode of the PowerfulJRE podcast with martial arts legends Benny “The Jet” Urquidez and William “Blinky” Rodriguez.
The longtime UFC commentator proposed an unconventional solution that could revolutionize how combat sports are presented to audiences.
During the conversation about martial arts history and evolution, Rogan acknowledged a fundamental problem with modern MMA viewership. Rogan said that fans boo when contenders go to the ground, identifying the disconnect between casual fans and the technical aspects of ground fighting.
Rogan’s proposed solution draws inspiration from ONE Championship’s multi-discipline approach. “I’ve been trying to say to the UFC like a lot of times people boo when people go to the ground. Well, here’s a solution. Have some fights where it’s just standup fights. Have some fights: MMA gloves, Muay Thai rules,” he explained.
The commentator emphasized that these standalone striking matches would operate under specific parameters. “You know, where you don’t go to the ground like have that. I mean, it would be incredibly exciting and have, you know, like or you could even do a whole promotion of it.”
Rogan traced the roots of this problem back to the 1980s kickboxing era. “In America, unfortunately, kickboxing because of the PKA in what they call it, The Kick of the 80s. Remember back then? That’s what they called it, right? PKA karate, The Kick of the 80s,” he said, referencing how the Professional Karate Association’s waist-up only rules limited the sport’s growth.
He lamented how restrictive rules historically hampered kickboxing’s popularity in America. “If they just allowed low kicks from the beginning and we got to see the guys from Japan, we got to see the guys from Thailand. We got to see you guys do all your thing, it would have probably flourished in America and been as big as MMA.”
When discussing this proposal with UFC CEO Dana White, Rogan encountered resistance. “Even Dana White when I talked to him about I was like, ‘Ah, people don’t care about kickboxing.’ I’m like, ‘It’s just because it was sold badly in the 80s. That’s really all it is. Like if it was around today, I genuinely believe it would… If kickboxing had gotten the same sort of promotional push that the UFC got like way back in 2001, I think it would be just as big as boxing, just as big as MMA. I think it would be huge right now.’”
Rogan firmly believes the product quality exists for pure striking competitions. “There’s great strikers out there,” he stated, pointing to the technical evolution of modern fighters as evidence that audiences would embrace high-level striking matches.
The veteran commentator also defended the integrity of ground fighting while acknowledging presentation challenges. “You can’t change the rules for the casuals,” he insisted, referring to fans who don’t understand grappling. “You know, that’s the problem when business gets involved in sport. You start altering the rules to make it more business-friendly, which I just don’t I don’t agree with.”
Rogan emphasized that his role includes educating viewers about ground techniques. “It was my job in the early days of the UFC when it first got on television to explain to people what’s going on when it hits the ground,” he recalled, describing how he would narrate submissions and positions to help audiences understand the technical aspects.
By proposing separate striking-only events within the UFC framework, Rogan believes the organization could satisfy fans craving standup action while preserving the complete martial arts competition that defines MMA.
