What Joe Rogan has said about Weight cutting in mixed martial arts

Rogan argues that weight cutting is the worst aspect of MMA and should be stopped.

“for people that have never done that before and don't know, it's fucking hard. Even 24 hours is hard. Weight cutting is the grossest thing in MMA”

The Joe Rogan Experience: JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthy (May 27, 2026) · Listen from 20:59

Rogan calls the practice of allowing fighters to dehydrate to a weight class the dumbest thing in the sport.

“it is the dumbest fucking thing we do in the sport where we allow these people to pretend that they weigh a certain way”

The Joe Rogan Experience: #2498 - Brendan Schaub (May 13, 2026) · Listen from 32:33

Rogan calls weight cutting a form of sanctioned cheating that should have been eliminated long ago.

“I mean, I fucking hate weight cutting. I hate it so bad. I really do. I think it's sanctioned cheating”

The Joe Rogan Experience: JRE MMA Show #178 with Dan Hardy (May 6, 2026) · Listen from 24:01

Rogan argues that MMA promotions need more weight classes because the gaps between divisions are too large.

“we need more weight classes. I don't think there's nearly enough weight classes. I think the gaps are enormous”

The Joe Rogan Experience: JRE MMA Show #178 with Dan Hardy (May 6, 2026) · Listen from 31:06

Rogan argues that fighters should not be cutting weight.

“The whole thing's gross. They shouldn't be weighing in. They shouldn't be cutting weight”

The Joe Rogan Experience: #2492 - Ari Shaffir (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 52:17

Rogan says banning weight cutting would require adding more weight classes.

“But the only way they're really ever going to be able to do that is to make more weight classes”

The Joe Rogan Experience: #2492 - Ari Shaffir (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 56:29