Joe Rogan Details Emotional Toll of Witnessing Friends' UFC Defeats

UFC commentator Joe Rogan was brought to tears while recounting the emotional struggle of watching friends lose in competition, MMA Fighting and other outlets reported on September 25, 2025. On an episode of his podcast, Rogan described the experience of witnessing his friends' defeats from his cageside commentary position as "devastating." The reports highlight the personal difficulty he encounters due to the close relationships he has formed with many fighters over his long career with the promotion.

abplive.com reported, Rogan specifically mentioned the difficulty of watching losses by Daniel Cormier and Brendan Schaub, calling the latter "the hardest one." He explained that knowing the fighters as human beings and understanding the consequences of a loss is what makes the experience so difficult, comparing it to the loss of a family member. The account illustrates the challenging emotional aspect of his long-standing role within the sport and the human side of combat sports coverage.