Joe Rogan believes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is more than just a combat art, and to him, it’s a compass. The longtime UFC commentator and podcast host has spent decades on the mat, and in the process, discovered more than self-defense and conditioning. He found a lens through which he views the people in his life. And if you train jiu-jitsu too? That’s an instant green flag.
Rogan recently shared this on JRE #2359, describing it as a “life hack” for figuring out who’s worth spending time with. For him, jiu-jitsu acts as a filter — it weeds out those who quit when things get tough and highlights those who embrace challenges. “If you’ve been doing jiu-jitsu eight years, I can 99% sure I can hang out with you,” the JRE host said. Now, in another episode, as Derek Moneyberg’s name came up, Joe Rogan spoke highly of him, naturally because of his BJJ veteran background. And interestingly, Joe Rogan even received a surprise message from Moneyberg himself.
Just hours ago, Derek Moneyberg took to Instagram, sharing a clip of Joe Rogan praising the outspoken business success coach. In the caption, Moneyberg wrote, “I appreciate the thoughtful words spoken about me by Joe Rogan and Mike Maxwell on their recent podcast together.” So what did the 57-year-old say in the clip?
During the conversation, guest Mike Maxwell asked the $200 million podcaster, “Have you seen this f—— Derek Moneyberg, fella?”Rogan responded, “Oh, is he the jiu-jitsu guy?” Mike confirmed, adding, “Yeah, he got his black belt in three and a half years.” Rogan lit up and said, “Right. He’s legit because he is with legit people, so I can imagine.” Mike then mentioned, “Jake Shields, who’s a 5x champion in Strikeforce, EliteXC, and Shooto with a 15-fight win streak, is savage. Like, all the respect to Jake.” Rogan replied, “Then he is legit…”
Joe Rogan then went on to compare Moneyberg’s dedication to that of Mark Zuckerberg, saying, “It’s super easy to dismiss someone because they’re rich. Zuckerberg is a primary example, right? I know for a fact Zuckerberg trains really f—— hard and he goes with real guys. So he takes it very seriously, has access to incredible trainers, and he’s an obsessive… If this guy’s putting in hours and hours every single day, which is what I heard, like literally training multiple hours a day, every f—— day at jiu-jitsu, you can get to black belt level. I don’t know if he is, you know, but I know that if those guys say he is, I believe them.”
He further explained the advantage of having elite coaches, saying, “Night classes and day classes are great, but one-on-one is the ultimate. If you’re a guy like him and you can get John Danaher to coach you, you can get Gordon Ryan to coach you, you can get all those guys, Jake Shields, I mean, I’ve seen photos and videos of him from training sessions with the best guys in the world. If you can get them and you’re hiring them, it could be a cheat code… That’s the thing, you have to actually be training really hard.” So while it seems Joe Rogan received plenty of support this time, that’s not always the case for the UFC color commentator.
Joe Rogan slammed as fans call latest JRE ‘Rock Bottom’
There was a time when politics barely made it into The Joe Rogan Experience, with MMA and even alien talk taking the spotlight. But in 2024, Joe Rogan shook things up before the election by bringing Donald Trump on as a guest. Unfortunately, that move didn’t sit well with some longtime viewers, who had tuned in for the show’s variety and balance. As a result, perceptions of the podcast began to shift.
This change came despite Rogan telling comedian Jimmy Dore back in 2020, “I’ve never voted right-wing in my life. Never. Never. I voted Democrat.” Rogan’s political stance has never been easy to label, but inviting guests like JD Vance, Ben Shapiro, and Jordan Peterson has given the show a more political tone. The latest example was his conversation with Graham Linehan, an Irish comedy writer known for his anti-transgender views, which again left many fans disappointed.
One Reddit user summed up their feelings about the Linehan episode (#2361) bluntly, writing: “… this recent episode with Graham Linehan honestly feels like rock bottom. It epitomizes this far-right cliché that the show has slowly been drifting toward. Instead of thought-provoking dialogue or challenging ideas, it now feels like an echo chamber of grievance politics, internet culture war talking points, and the same tired anti-woke rhetoric.” Their post, which they admitted was AI-assisted, struck a chord with other listeners. Comments ranged from “I hate to be this person, but… Joe sold out” to “Joe is done! I can only hate listen at this point.”
Still, Joe Rogan’s guest list has not been entirely one-sided. The show has also featured figures like James Talarico and Bernie Sanders, representing a variety of political views. Talarico even spoke afterward about his time on the podcast, saying he had nothing but positive things to share. That said, as The Joe Rogan Experience, once praised for its range from science to comedy and combat sports, now faces criticism for being repetitive and alienating, what’s your take on it?
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