Joe Rogan had to give up his professional MMA career and now reveals the unspoken truth about the fighter’s mindset

If Georges St-Pierre tells you that he has never seen “…such a hard blow from a human being” because of your kicks, then you must be doing something right! Joe Rogan’s martial arts background has allowed him to analyze fights in astonishing detail during his time as a UFC co-commentator. A winner of the US Open Championship in Taekwondo and a black belt in BJJ, Rogan’s expertise has made him a UFC icon, transforming a generation of martial arts fans into UFC fanatics.

So why didn’t Rogan compete in the UFC? Training to become an elite fighter is no easy task. Especially when you have the prospect of fighting in a cage. In a recent conversation with the neuroscientist Andrew Huberman In the JRE podcast (Joe Rogan Experience), the podcast host shed light on the intense and often overlooked mental aspects of the life of an MMA fighter.

Joe Rogan reveals the ‘dark side’ of what makes a fighter

During JRE episode #2195, Andrew Huberman opened the discussion by saying that he had not participated in many “Competitive sport” but he has always been fascinated by the mindset of athletes who choose this path in life. He then mentioned Rogan’s previous experiences as a fighter and said: “…as if your brain had been weaned from frequent fighting?”

Joe Rogan’s response offered insight into the life of a young fighter when he said: “Well, that was also due to my development as a child. I mean, I was always involved in competitive sports throughout my puberty, so from the age of 15 onwards I was literally doing it all day long.”

This early immersion in martial arts had a profound impact on Rogan’s development. He further explained: “…it’s a crappy way to develop your mind…because the consequences are so severe. You know, I always say about MMA that it’s high-level problem solving with dire physical consequences, and it really is. It’s high-level problem solving. You’re literally fighting, man-to-man fighting with your body against someone who’s an expert at it. It’s so crazy.”

But here’s the kicker (no pun intended) – Rogan admitted that this lifestyle wasn’t all fame and adrenaline. He shared that “It’s a crazy way of life, but the negative aspects are that you become extremely competitive because you develop faster as a teenager.”

However, for Joe Rogan, there was another major factor that prevented him from continuing his martial arts career. Concerns about head trauma and the after-effects of tough sparring sessions eventually forced him to give up life as a prizefighter!

Why did Rogan stop fighting?

Given his long-standing association with the UFC and impressive combat sports background, it’s a surprise that Joe Rogan hasn’t fought an MMA fight. Although the podcast host is now 57 and still in great shape, he had admitted in the past that his fighting career was ended prematurely due to concussion concerns.

In conversation with the former kickboxing champion of Glory, Joseph Valtellinesi In JRE episode no. 900, Rogan confessed that “If I had still competed when the UFC was still around, I probably would have done something… when I stopped fighting, which was in 1989, that was my last kickboxing fight. And it was nothing, there was no money in it. And I got headaches just from sparring.”

He also revealed that making money and pursuing a career in MMA was still a dream at the time, as the first UFC event would not take place until 1993, many years after Rogan had already decided to hang up his gloves. But the loss of MMA was a gain for stand-up comedy, as Rogan revealed: “When I started doing stand-up comedy, I realized, ‘Oh wow, I could make a living doing this.’ Like there was actually a real way.” and the rest is history.

Finally, Joe Rogan’s reflections with Andrew Huberman remind us that a fighter’s journey is both mentally and physically demanding, and sometimes the toughest fights are the ones you fight on the inside. Do you think Joe Rogan would have been successful in the UFC? What weight class do you think he would have competed in? Share your thoughts in the comments below!