“I won’t be there. I don’t go to Canada anymore,” says Joe Rogan. What is it? An allergy to maple syrup? Too many polite people holding doors open for him? Or is he just dodging a surprise grappling match with Georges St-Pierre? Whatever the case, UFC 315 in Canada will have to go on without its most iconic voice.

Ariel Helwani isn’t letting this one slide. “What are your thoughts on Joe Rogan’s recent comment that he won’t be commentating UFC 315 in Montreal because he ‘refuses to go to Canada and would rather go to Russia’?” And Petesy Carroll wasn’t having it either. “I’m so glad you asked this. I’m so confused about this. I cannot wait. I was going to text you about this. What the f— is this?

The confusion is warranted. After all, Rogan once seemed to enjoy his time in Montreal. In fact, he even performed at a small bar in the city. Helwani recalled, “I remember, I think it might have been UFC 97? Or 113 in Montreal. I was at home on a Thursday night when Rogan texted me saying he was playing at a small bar in Montreal. No joke, there were maybe 150 people there. And we just hung out with him at the bar afterward. It was crazy. I don’t know if it was an impromptu thing or what, but that’s when we were boys.” And Now? Canada might as well be the other side of the world for Rogan.

“I don’t care, who cares?” Helwani continued, waving off the speculation. “I haven’t asked him, but let’s say there’s a show in Australia. He’s gotta show every day, right? Maybe he doesn’t wanna miss out. If you go to Abu Dhabi, that’s a long trip. Maybe he just doesn’t like to travel. I don’t know.” Petesy Carroll, jumping into the madness, asked, “Is he afraid of flights? But what’s happening in Canada?” Another voice chimed in, “Why doesn’t he do international shows anymore? Maybe he just loves America too much, he can’t spend any time away from it?”

As much fun as it is to throw out wild theories, like Rogan beefing with a moose at the border, the truth is much simpler. He’s not avoiding Canada specifically, he’s avoiding international travel altogether.

Did Joe Rogan impose this ban on himself?

MMA journalist Damon Martin confirmed the news, posting, “Listening to Joe Rogan’s Fight Companion podcast for #UFCLondon and he confirms that he won’t be calling #UFC315 in Canada in May. He doesn’t travel internationally but seemed like Canada was a possibility, but nope.”

And if you’ve been following Joe Rogan for a while, this shouldn’t come as a shock. Back in 2016, when the UFC was sold to WME-IMG, he started cutting back on his travel commitments. On The Joe Rogan Experience, he explained, “No more international travel, no more flying across the planet. If I go to Brazil, that’s five days out of my life and on top of that there’s the recovery time. The flying f—- with my head.”

Since then, the UFC has adjusted, filling the void with a rotating panel of commentators whenever the Octagon heads overseas. It’s not a slight against Canada, London, or Abu Dhabi. It’s just Rogan prioritizing time, comfort, and maybe not wanting to be jet-lagged while dissecting the latest Bigfoot conspiracy on his podcast.

So, if Rogan isn’t calling UFC 315, who is? Enter Michael Bisping, Paul Felder, and Dominick Cruz. Regular members of the UFC’s international commentary rotation. So, as Ariel puts it, “He doesn’t go to any international shows. He didn’t go to Vancouver last year, or Toronto last year, so I think it was a zinger from a comedian. It’s not a Montreal thing. He hasn’t gone to one of them in a while so everyone needs to chill out.” So, UFC 315? No Rogan. Again. Should he ever break his international hiatus, or should we all just chill out? Let us know what you think in the comments below.