Joe Rogan has voiced serious concerns about the UFC's planned Freedom 250 event, which is scheduled to take place on the front lawn of the White House on June 14.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the longtime UFC commentator said he is strongly opposed to the idea of hosting a championship-level fight card outdoors, citing concerns about extreme heat, insects, and the lack of a controlled environment for fighters.
“I don't like it. I don't like the idea of fighting outside at all,” Rogan said. “And then, it's June, and it's D.C., and we looked it up, the last time, like last year, same day, it was 100 degrees.”
Rogan questioned how organizers plan to deal with insects during the event, noting that the issue could become a significant distraction for fighters and officials.
“The bugs are a big one. How are they going to f*cking do anything about the bugs?” he said. “Because I know that Dana was talking about that recently. They were talking about maybe using fans. Is that enough? You got bug strips everywhere? What are you going to do? Like, how are you going to stop the bugs? There's a lot of bugs.”
The veteran broadcaster argued that world championship fights should take place in climate-controlled arenas to ensure fairness and safety for competitors.
“I just don't think that you should compete in a world championship fight in a non-controlled environment,” Rogan said. “I think it should be inside an air-conditioned arena. It should be a controlled environment. You wouldn't ask them to play a world championship basketball game outside in the sun. That would be crazy. You have to play in an air-conditioned arena and that's how it should be.”
Rogan also suggested that the UFC has the resources to build a temporary covered venue if it wants to stage the event at the White House.
“Build a f*cking roof. Build a roof,” he said. “Like, you've got all the money in the world, right? You build a 4,000-seat arena.”
He went on to warn that extreme temperatures could directly affect the outcome of fights, particularly for athletes who have already undergone difficult weight cuts.
“Imagine if someone loses a fight because it's too hot out. Imagine if that becomes a factor,” Rogan said. “Imagine the dehydrated fighters, like the dehydrated fighters that are now being forced 24 hours later to fight in 100-degree heat.”
Drawing on a previous UFC event held outdoors in Abu Dhabi, Rogan recalled dealing with both heat and unusually large insects.
“We did one outside at Abu Dhabi, and that one, bro, there were bugs flying around that looked like birds,” he said. “They were so big. I was like, ‘that's a bug? What kind of bug is that? Can that kill me? This is crazy.’ You're in the f*cking desert, man. Some giant ass bug. You're outside. It's hot. You're in the desert. This is crazy. Why are we fighting outside?”
The UFC has yet to announce any specific measures that will be used to address weather conditions or insects at the White House event. However, Rogan's comments highlight the logistical challenges that could come with staging a major combat sports event in an outdoor setting.
