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Why did Joe Rogan stop betting on UFC fights? 'We were like 84% winning'

Joe Rogan discussed beating the odds bookies placed on UFC fights in the early 2000s and why he stopped betting

AUSTIN, TEXAS: Joe Rogan  a UFC commentator and podcaster has discussed the state of UFC gambling on his podcast, 'The Joe Rogan Experience'. Rogan, who has been a martial arts fan and practitioner since a young age, has always been aware of what is going on in the combat sports world.

In the early days of MMA, the podcast host exploited his knowledge to exploit betting odds established by bookmakers who were unaware of many of the fighters' genuine abilities. Rogan opened up on beating the betting odds on MMA fights back in the day.

'We were like 84% winning'

Rogan stated that he used to bet on MMA fights but he ended his MMA betting career owing to concerns that it would influence his commentary during the fights on which he had bet. The creator of Barstool Sports, David Portnoy, appeared on JRE. When discussing the overall condition of betting in MMA, Rogan said, "I used to gamble with my business partner at Onnit, Aubrey [Marcus]."

He further added, "I used to gamble on the fights early on. The early days of the UFC, like the 2000s. I would just go, 'Ah nobody even knows about Anderson Silva. Bet the house on this guy!' Then I thought about it for a while, and I was like, 'Maybe this isn't good for my commentary.' So I just stopped doing it and I would tell Aubrey, and at one time we were like 84% winning." A Twitter user shared the clip, writing, "Joe Rogan talks gambling on MMA in the early 2000s."

'It was a good fight'

During his participation on Rogan's podcast, David Portnoy also brought up a controversial fight to discuss. This was the clash that saw Paddy Pimblett defeat Jared Gordon because of a controversial decision at UFC 282. Many thought Gordon aka 'Flash' had won at least two of the three rounds and were stunned when Bruce Buffer read the winner's name. Rogan, who frequently interviews competitors in the cage after their fights, was seen rolling his eyes at the outcome in a fan-filmed video.

Pimblett famously secured a £1 million deal with Barstool Sports in 2022, and Portnoy was spotted at UFC 282 wearing a wig similar to the one worn by his followers. Rogan expressed his thoughts on who he thought won the bout, saying, "He shouldn't have won. I thought Jared Gordon won that fight. But it was a good fight. Certainly wasn't a blow-out. It wasn't one of those fights where there's no f**king way [Pimblett won]." A person tweeted saying, "Joe Rogan on Paddy’s controversial fight vs Jared Gordon"