You may say whatever you want about Nick Diaz, but the man is not wired like the rest of us. Imagine diving into frigid, shark-infested waters with no life jacket or wetsuit—just you and the ocean—and thinking it sounds like a fun time. This is exactly what Diaz has done. Not once. Five times. And Joe Rogan just reminded everyone about this amazing achievement on his podcast, calling it one of the most bizarre things he’s ever heard. It’s not just outlandish; it’s almost unthinkable.
On episode #2317 of The Joe Rogan Experience, things took a bizarre turn when the JRE host began riffing about Donald Trump‘s proposal to reopen Alcatraz. That resulted in him doubling down on the Nick Diaz story. “You go to Alcatraz and you think—how the f— could someone swim from here?” Rogan stated. “Nick Diaz did it. Five times. In shark-infested water.”
It was not even a publicity stunt or a one-time challenge. The 42-year-old performed it as part of his training, simply incorporating a death-defying swim between fights. If you’ve never gone to San Francisco Bay, you probably don’t understand how difficult that swim is. It is more than just the mile-and-a-half distance. The water is icy cold. If you aren’t careful, the current will knock you sideways.
And, yes, there are great white sharks in there. Joe Rogan and his guest, Cody Tucker, were both stunned. “You couldn’t f—– pay me to do that,” Tucker stated. Rogan laughed but did not disagree. “You know if they bite you, you’re dead. And he’s doing it for funsies.” Let us not forget what Alcatraz is. It wasn’t simply a prison; it was the prison.
The one they designed for the worst-case scenario. For three decades, it housed men such as the notorious Al Capone. Everyone assumed that no one could swim from there and survive. That myth surely held strong until Nick Diaz chose to approach it like any other aerobic exercise.
LAS VEGAS, NV – SEPTEMBER 9: Nick Diaz appears on stage at the UFC 279 ceremonial weigh-ins on September 9, 2022, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire MMA: SEP 09 UFC 279 Icon220909521279
Then there is the Trump factor. The former president reportedly stated that he wants to reopen and possibly expand Alcatraz to make it a functional prison again. While the UFC commentator addressed it casually, it was evident that what interested him the most wasn’t the concept of a new prison—it was that fighter from Stockton, California. But what does Joe Rogan actually think of Donald Trump’s idea?
Joe Rogan approves of the US president’s master plan
Before diving into the wild Nick Diaz story, Joe Rogan had already shared his thoughts on Donald Trump’s huge Alcatraz announcement. Make no mistake: he wasn’t rolling his eyes at it. In fact, the UFC commentator was grinning from ear to ear. When Trump’s name came up on the episode, the JRE host couldn’t help but crack up and declare, “That’s fun to me.”
Trust us when we tell you that it was no sarcasm, either. He seemed to light up at the idea of the old prison reopening—not as a museum, but as the real thing. A functional lockup. A symbolic, gritty slice of history resurrected by one of the most unpredictable presidents in history. To Joe Rogan, reopening Alcatraz is more than just a policy decision; it’s drama. Pure chaos.
And it is just what he finds entertaining. “The world’s crazy,” he joked, apparently savoring the idea of feathers being ruffled from coast to coast. This was not about politics or strategy. It was about the drama, the symbolism, and the sheer, We’re doing what now?” absurdity of it all. Rogan lives for dramatic, disruptive headlines like this. It didn’t have to make sense; all it needed to do was shake folks up.
And let’s not forget Rogan’s personal history with the place. “I went there as a kid,” he said casually, recalling a school trip from when he was about eight years old and lived in San Francisco. He recalls the ferry trip, the cold weather, and how the prison appeared out of the fog like something from a nightmare. That impression never left him. So, in some strange way, this Alcatraz revival appeals to Joe Rogan’s nostalgia. But what do you think? Do you believe it is a good idea? Let us know in the comments.
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