UFC 318 is set to take place in New Orleans this Saturday, but longtime UFC commentators won’t be part of the broadcast. On July 19, it was announced that Joe Rogan would not have any commentary duties for the event, with Paul Felder stepping in instead. While Rogan often skips pay-per-view events held internationally, it has been a long time since he missed a numbered UFC event in the U.S. This means that he won’t be calling Dustin Poirier’s final fight in front of his hometown fans in Louisiana.
There was some speculation over Rogan’s absence, and although he plans to watch UFC 318 as a fan, the real reason seems to be personal. Recently, photos surfaced showing Rogan on a luxurious European vacation with his family aboard a megayacht valued at about $600,000 per week. Locations visited include Venice, Italy, and Croatia’s Brush Islands. While this doesn’t definitively mean he couldn’t return in time for the event, it appears his vacation plans took priority over attending in person. It’s possible Rogan committed to this getaway well before the UFC 318 fight card was finalized.
This event marks the first U.S.-based pay-per-view Joe Rogan has missed since UFC 271 in February 2022, where Israel Adesanya faced Robert Whittaker in a middleweight title rematch in Houston. Rogan’s absence was also unexplained back then, but since then he has typically only skipped events held overseas.
Fan Take: Joe Rogan is a defining voice of UFC, and his absence at a major U.S. event—especially Dustin Poirier’s farewell fight—underscores how personal priorities can impact even the biggest names in the sport. This shift highlights the growing depth of UFC’s commentary team and could signal a new era where fresh voices get more opportunities to shine in high-profile moments.
