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Dana White is responding to Joe Rogan’s criticisms ahead of the UFC White House event.
Last month, Rogan took a shot at the event, calling it a “gimmick” during a segment on his podcast.
“Yeah, I’m not thrilled about that… I’ll be there but I’m not thrilled about it, it doesn’t seem like a wise idea… It’s kind of a gimmick, you know, there’s that.”
“And people are criticizing the card but if it was any other card it’s a great card it’s just they’re criticizing it because they said it was gonna be the greatest card of all time and it’s also just gonna be a security nightmare.”
During an interview with Forbes, White responded to Rogan calling the event a “gimmick.”
“Whatever Joe Rogan’s opinions are – he said something crazy like, ‘It seems like a gimmick,'” White said. “I mean, what does a gimmick mean? It’s a real fight, with real stakes. You got Pereira possibly winning his third world title. If he wins the third world title that night, he jumps over Jon Jones and becomes the greatest of all time. When you talk about a gimmick, there’s absolutely nothing gimmicky about this event.”
“We’re celebrating 250 years of America, we’re gonna have all the representatives of the military there, every fight on that card means something with who wins or loses that night, and you know, like the most historical sporting event in American history. Far from a gimmick.”
White also reiterated that he would never try to silence Rogan.
“Joe is a grown man, can have his opinions on anything, and you can ask any of my people in those positions. When they say something or give an opinion, they don’t get a phone call from me ever – and the president won’t either. These guys are your friends, but everybody’s entitled to their own opinions.”
Dana White on Joe Rogan calling the UFC WH event a “gimmick”
“There’s absolutely nothing gimmicky about this event.”
pic.twitter.com/P8CQ4QfZXT— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) June 6, 2026