Dana White has been close friends with Joe Rogan for decades, and has watched him rise from a comedian doing free shows to podcasting royalty.
Before even landing his star-making role as the host of Fear Factor, Rogan had worked with the UFC in the pre-White era. He hosted backstage segments where he interviewed fighters and provided analysis, a far cry from the spot on commentary that is now synonymous with his voice.
Nowadays, his side gig hosting a podcast has become his most lucrative venture, earning him a Spotify deal worth as much as $250million. And White believes that he knows exactly what has made him such a success.
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Dana White explains the secret to Joe Rogan’s success
Dana White recently gave unprecedented access to Forbes Magazine for a cover story and documentary about the goings on behind the scenes at the UFC. He took them cageside for UFC 310 in Las Vegas, and even showed off private messages from President Donald Trump.
However, perhaps one of the most fascinating parts of the feature was when White explained how Joe Rogan managed to capture the imagination of a global audience with his show. The UFC boss reckons it’s recent years and the sociopolitical climate that has brought him to the next level
“You know, Joe’s podcast was always big,” White told reporter Matt Craig. “But then I think everything that’s happened over the past five or six years and the way certain people have dealt with it? That’s led us to where we are today.”
Dana White details how he and Joe Rogan took over the cultural zeitgeist
For years, the UFC struggled to garner mainstream attention in any significant way after White and the Fertitta Brothers bought the promotion for just $2million. They ultimately, however, turned it into a multi-billion dollar business which sold for $4billion and is now valued upwards of $12billion.
As a result, he and his close-knit group of friends including Rogan have become major players in the entire culture of the Western world. White and Rogan are now close friends with the likes of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and of course, president Trump.
“It’s fascinating,” he continued. “It wasn’t by design, it all just sort of happened. I think that all of us, what we all have accomplished, we’ve all stayed… Everything in life if about authenticity; who’s authentic? Who’s real? Who’s whatever?
“We’ve always stayed true to who we are and what we believe and no matter what type of pressure was out there we never folded to any of that. It just stays there, our core beliefs and values and who we are.
“That’s not only as people but as a business and as a sport and as a podcaster. Even Lorenzo [Fertitta] as a business owner… I mean we are all viciously loyal to each other. If you don’t have loyalty what do you have?”
Joe Rogan used to work UFC events for free in Dana White’s early days
One example of that loyalty would be the close bond that White and Rogan have shared for decades ever since his debut in the UFC. The comedian offered to do his first few shows for free, before eventually becoming a major star and now commanding major money.
The number of shows varies; Dana White claims it was 31 while Rogan says it was closer to 15. But speaking on a 2021 podcast episode, the commentator explained: “I did that gig for free for the first 15 shows.
“Yeah, that’s what happened. The UFC was struggling, they just bought the company. It wasn’t financially viable, they weren’t making a lot of money.
“There was like Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell. This was like pre-2005. 2005 is when it really took off because of The Ultimate Fighter. That was season one of The Ultimate Fighter. So I was on fear factor and Dana and I became friends because he offered me tickets to the fights when they had just bought the UFC.”
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