Joe Rogan posted a response to a forum thread on mixedmartialsarts.com giving his take on Dana White’s recent outburst regarding the contract status of Jon Fitch, and other fighters out of the American Kickboxing Academy.
Rogan commented on Dana White as a person by saying “Dana is a very unconventional person. If you’re with him, you’re his friend and he’s the best guy in the world to have on your side. Conversely, if you’re against him he’s your worst fucking enemy.”
Rogan continues, “Me personally, I like guys like that. You always know where you stand with them, and in my personal experiences with him I’ve found him to be very honest and very generous. Again, this is just my personal experience. I really, really like the guy, and I consider him a good friend.”
Later in his post he seemed to distance himself from White in the way he treats the fighters by stating “I don’t agree with a lot of the things he says about fighters, but I know where it’s coming from. He’s a passionate motherfucker, and sometimes he gets a little crazy.”
Rogan admitted he doesn’t “completely understand the terms of this contract, but in a non specific sense you could look at it two ways – you could either think of it as them making money off your likeness, and the fact that they can continue to do so as long as they like, or you could think of it as an awesome opportunity for publicity and exposure.”
No matter which side of the issue you agree with, common sense tells us that there are always two sides to every story. Rogan’s unique perspective is interesting if nothing else.
Joe Rogan always comes across as a guy who speaks his mind, regardless of the consequences. His willingness to talk about this sensitive issue is a testament to his guts. One has to wonder if any of the parties involved in the dispute will end up reading his comments, and what their response will be, if any.