Joe Rogan thinks fighters outside of UFC are ‘wasting their career’

There's been an age-old debate about the quality of fighters who compete outside of the UFC banner. Many fans simply think that being a "UFC fighter" means you're at a level unmatched by other promotions. But as the years have gone on and other promotions like ONE Championship and PFL have grown, that seems to be less and less true.

UFC commentator Joe Rogan has weighed in on the subject, explaining that there is talent outside of the UFC, but claims it's pointless since no one is seeing it.

“No disrespect to the other organizations, there’s very good fighters in the other organizations, but I often feel like they’re wasting their career,” Rogan said on his podcast. “Because I see these elite fighters that are fighting in Bellator and PFL and I’m like, ‘Hey guys, no one’s watching.’ I mean, some people are watching, you’re getting a little bit of a fan base, I don’t want to disrespect, but there’s a reality."

He continued saying, "There’s the XFL, there’s the CFL, and then there’s the f****** NFL. If you’re not in the f****** NFL, are you really playing football? That’s just how it is.”

He's not entirely wrong. The UFC viewership is well above those of the PFL or ONE Championship.

“If you’re the UFC champ, you’re the f****** man,” Rogan said. “If you’re the Bellator champ, I respect the s*** out of those guys. I love them. Guys like Johnny Eblen, same thing. He’s a freaking animal. I really wish that guy would come to the UFC. If you’re a UFC champion, the promotion is just unparalleled. There’s nothing like it. I mean everybody knows who you are when you’re the UFC champion.”

The recent purchase of Bellator by PFL hopes to change all that. With fewere promotions to watch, fans time won't be divided. It's going to be an uphill climb to match the UFC's level, but it could happen if the fans were more willing to try new things and if the promotions focused on building viewers.