Joe Rogan would ‘rather go to Russia’ than work at UFC event in Canada

The podcaster, comedian and UFC commentator has said he will be absent from UFC 315 in Montreal

Joe Rogan has said he will not be working at UFC 315 in May, as he would “rather go to Russia” than Canada, where the event will play out.

UFC 315 is scheduled for 10 May at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, and given the fight card’s status as a pay-per-view event, many fans expected Rogan to be on commentary duties for the UFC.

However, the American has played down the idea. Speaking on his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience on Saturday, the 57-year-old said: “I won’t be there. I don’t go to Canada anymore, I don’t. I’d rather go to Russia.”

Rogan was also absent from UFC 297, which took place in Toronto in January 2024, so his decision to skip UFC 315 is not necessarily a major surprise. In general, Rogan tends not to work at international UFC events anymore, having cited the amount of travel as an offputting factor.

However, the feeling is that Rogan’s decision could be linked to his support of US President Donald Trump, who recently implemented costly tariffs on goods from abroad, including Canada, causing a ‘trade war’.

Furthermore, Trump has joked that he could try to make Canada the 51st US state – something that Rogan addressed on the same episode of his podcast.

Joe Rogan (left) and US president Donald Trump (Getty Images)

“I had a conversation with Trump about it,” Rogan said. “He goes: ‘I started calling him Governor [Justin] Trudeau just for fun, but a lot of people are saying good idea. Maybe it is a good idea!’”

Rogan and Trump were referring to former Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, who recently resigned from his position.

“That’s never going to happen,” Rogan said of annexing Canada. “That’s so crazy, asked them to be the 51st state.”

Mark Carney, Trudeau’s successor, called a snap election this weekend and said: “We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty.”

Rogan ahead of UFC 300 in April 2024 (Getty Images)

UFC 315 is due to be headlined by two title fights. In the main event, Belal Muhammad is set to defend the welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena, after the co-main event pits women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko against Manon Fiorot.

In January, UFC president Dana White spoke at a rally held by Trump upon the latter’s election victory. White, a friend of Trump, thanked Rogan during that speech.