UFC News 2016: Analyst Joe Rogan Says Criticism From Fans Made Him A Better Commentator, Talks Bias Accusations
UFC veteran analyst Joe Rogan recently spoke in detail about his life as a high-profile mixed martial arts broadcaster, and all the good and bad that goes along with it.
The 48-year-old Rogan, who is also a full-time stand-up comedian, began his career with the UFC in 1997, at UFC 12, which was held in Dothan, Alabama.
Since then, he has been recognized as one of the pioneers of the MMA broadcast scene. He is also a host of his own podcast entitled "The Joe Rogan Experience," where he has interviewed various big-named personalities, from fighters such as Ronda Rousey, Carlos Condit, and Donald Cerrone, to musicians such as Paul Stanley and Joe Perry.
In the early 2000's, Rogan also hosted "Fear Factor," a popular reality television series. The show ran from 2001-2006 and then made its return on-air from 2011-2012.
Rogan recently sat down with Stephie Haynes for Bloody Elbow to speak about his life as a long-time commentator and mixed martial arts figure.
In the said interview, he revealed how his critics, both fans and people in the business, have affected him and his career.
"I appreciate that and in some sense, I owe them for helping me develop as a commentator," Rogan said. "That's just a fact."
Having developed a personal relationship with some of the UFC's talents, Rogan is also often criticized about being "biased" towards his friends. While he did admit to having committed major errors, Rogan also pointed out how he tries as much as possible not to sound as if he were taking sides.
He also pointed out that the said accusations usually come from fighters who are usually on the losing end.
"Sometimes fighters will think that you're biased against them, because the other person's won, and they listened to the commentary and think that you were biased," he said.
