Joe Rogan has decided not to travel to Canada for UFC 315 in Montreal, citing his general reluctance to travel internationally and his disinterest in visiting Canada due to the current political tensions between the U.S. and Canada.
Joe Rogan doesn’t travel internationally to call fights for the UFC. And that, apparently, even extends to Canada.
On May 10, UFC 315 lands in Montreal. The card features welterweight champion Belal Muhammad defending his belt against Jack Della Maddalena. Meanwhile, Valentina Shevchenko will face off against Manon Fiorot for the flyweight title. But guess what? Rogan won’t be in the broadcast booth.
“I won’t be there,” Rogan mentioned on his UFC London Fight Companion podcast. “I don’t go to Canada anymore. I don’t. I’d rather go to Russia.” Bold statement, right?
It’s not a shocker, considering Rogan skipped UFC 297 in Toronto back in January 2024. Yet, this marks the first time he openly expressed his reluctance to visit Canada.
Initially, Rogan cited excessive travel and time away from home as reasons for skipping international cards. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
Even though Austin to Canada isn’t exactly a marathon trip, Rogan’s disinterest seems rooted in North America’s current political climate.
The U.S. and Canada have been at odds lately. President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on goods from countries like Canada, sparking a potential trade war.
There’s also a running joke about Trump wanting to annex Canada as the 51st state. Rogan even chuckled about it during a chat with the president.
“That’s never going to happen,” Rogan laughed about the idea of Canada joining the U.S. “That’s so crazy. Asked them to be the 51st state.”
Rogan shared a conversation with Trump: “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!’”
Trudeau recently resigned, succeeded by Mark Carney, who’s already vocal about Trump’s trade antics.
“We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty,” Carney stated during a press conference.
Looks like tensions between the U.S. and Canada have even reached the UFC broadcast booth with Rogan bowing out of UFC 315.
With Rogan absent, Jon Anik and Daniel Cormier are expected to call the fights as usual. The UFC will eventually pick someone to fill Rogan’s shoes for May 10.