Joe Rogan is calling on the UFC to eliminate its show/win pay structure entirely, arguing it is indefensible for a fighter to lose half their purse due to a questionable judges’ decision.
Rogan made the comments on a recent episode of the JRE MMA Show alongside veteran referee and analyst John McCarthy, with both agreeing the format has no place in the sport.
If I make a bad call as a commentator, it’s like, ‘Oh, Joe’s an idiot.’ That doesn’t mean anything. Nobody loses money. Somebody could lose half their purse if the judges make a mistake, which I hate, by the way. I don’t like the whole win bonus. Everybody’s trying to win.
Rogan went further, arguing that competing should be enough to earn full pay.
I can’t stand it. You’re a prize fighter. You should get paid to compete, this is the number. It shouldn’t be dependent upon judges’ decisions. It should be dependent upon you showed up, you fought your ass off, you’re trying to win. Nobody’s trying to lose. What are we doing?
Rogan said earlier this year he would abandon the UFC’s pay model entirely if he were in charge. His latest remarks come amid a broader fighter-pay debate that has seen Ronda Rousey, Sean Strickland, and Colby Covington publicly raise grievances.
A potential pathway to structural change closed in 2025 when the UFC settled an antitrust lawsuit for $375 million, covering fighters who competed between 2010 and 2017.
