Joe Rogan will not be participating as a commentator at UFC 325 this Saturday night. The iconic voice of the UFC will instead be in the broadcast booth for two back-to-back numbered events but has chosen not to travel to Sydney, Australia, for the featherweight title rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopez. Rogan, aged 58, will watch the highly anticipated fight comfortably from his home in Austin, Texas.
In recent years, Joe Rogan has rarely traveled internationally for UFC events, so his absence at UFC 325 isn’t unexpected. Fans remain eager to see who will fill the void left by the globally recognized podcaster. This weekend, former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping will take over the commentary duties at Qudos Bank Arena, joining fellow Hall of Famers Daniel Cormier and Jon Anik. John Gooden will call the first four fights on the card — including a “Road to UFC” championship bout — before moving into a correspondent role, interviewing fighters backstage both before and after their bouts.
Brendan Fitzgerald of Meta APEX will host the UFC 325 broadcast and post-fight show, accompanied by former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, Chris Weidman, and coach Din Thomas. Legendary announcer Bruce Buffer will maintain his role, introducing each fighter competing at the event.
UFC 325 recently showcased an exciting light heavyweight battle, but an injury to Jimmy Crute, who tore his ACL, has postponed his matchup with Dustin Jacoby until 2026. Despite this setback, the UFC returns to Australia with a robust 14-fight lineup that fans are eagerly anticipating.
Main Card Highlights:
- Featherweight Title: Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs. Diego Lopez
- Dan Hooker vs. Benoit St. Denis
- Rafael Fiziev vs. Mauricio Ruffy
- Tibasa vs. Talison Teixeira
- Quilan Salkild vs. Jamie Malarkey
Qualifying Bouts:
- Junior Tafa vs. Billy Erekana
- Cameron Rowston vs. Cody Brundage
- Jacob Marcon vs. Torres Finney
- Jonathan Micallef vs. Orban Elliott
Early Qualifying Matches:
- Other Ofli vs. Yi Zha
- Sang Wook Kim vs. Don Mar Hwang
- Keiichiro Nakamura vs. Sebastian Zarai
- Suran Rambo vs. Lawrence Lewis
- Aaron Tau vs. Namsurai Batbayar
Fan Take:
Joe Rogan’s absence marks an important shift for UFC broadcasts, opening the door for fresh voices like Michael Bisping to shine and evolve the commentary landscape. This change could signal a new era for fight fans, enhancing the viewing experience with diversified insights while maintaining the high energy that audiences expect.
