Ronda Rousey isn’t mincing words when it comes to Joe Rogan.
The former UFC champion, 38, took aim at the longtime commentator during her recent appearance on The Bertcast Podcast with comedian Bert Kreischer — who also happens to be one of Rogan’s close friends. When asked about potentially returning to MMA, Rousey made it clear she doesn’t think much of Rogan’s expertise in the sport.
“He’s not an expert,” Rousey, 38, said on the Wednesday, October 29 episode. “He’s a fan with an audience. He never fought.” Kreischer tried to defend Rogan’s background in Taekwondo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but Rousey shut it down quickly, replying, “That’s not fighting.”
Of course, fans had to chime in, blowing up the replies of the podcast video on YouTube.
“Ronda still thinks she only started getting hate because she lost,” one person wrote.
Another stated, “Ronda had a few screws loose from her head after that kick from Holmes. Joe Rogan is a legit martial artist.”
“Man love Ronda, but it’s a bummer how bitter she is now. She’s a legend and did a lot for the sport, but she needs to let go of whatever she is holding onto,” said a third.
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The tension between the two goes back years. Early in Rousey’s UFC career, Rogan was one of her biggest supporters, once claiming she could beat “half of the UFC men’s bantamweight roster.” But his tone changed after her back-to-back losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. “I shouldn’t have said it at the time,” Rogan admitted during a 2017 episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. “Now it’s definitely not true.”
Rousey has since made it clear that Rogan’s shift in attitude — along with the media’s treatment of her — cut deep. “It was really disappointing to see how happily everybody turned on me,” she told The Chris Cuomo Project in 2024 “People like Joe Rogan, who were crying in the ring about the honor of being able to call my fights… so quickly turned on me.”