Joe Rogan is most known for his high-energy podcasting and passionate MMA commentary, yet for the majority of his life, he struggled with something as basic as breathing. In a 2020 interview with James Nestor, the JRE host described how he had a “useless nose” until the age of 40. But what was the reason? A deviated septum left untreated for decades. It wasn’t until June 30, 2009, that he finally had surgery—a decision he now describes as “life-changing.”

The UFC commentator documented the entire procedure at the time, even posting a photo on Twitter only 12 hours after surgery. His nose appeared swollen, with both nostrils almost completely blocked, yet his caption made fun of the situation. “A little uncomfortable, but no big deal really,” he noted. Two days later, he released a video in the hopes of reassuring those who were concerned about the operation. “I was a little concerned about it myself and put off getting it for years, so I thought it would be a good idea to make a little video on the process. I hope it helps someone out there!”

The JRE host revealed in the video how his nose had been damaged since childhood, first from a severe accident down the stairs when he was five years old and progressing through years of martial arts training. “I couldn’t breathe out of my nose for most of my life,” he said. However, barely 48 hours after the operation, he saw a difference. “Inside, goddamn, it’s all clean… Already it’s better. I can get more air in than I could before.” While the recovery wasn’t completely painless, Joe Rogan promised his fans that the discomfort was just temporary.

Years later, his story is resurfacing as a reminder of the impact that a proper medical operation may have. From nearly breathing to calling the surgery “one of the best decisions” he ever made, Joe Rogan surely gave some confidence to many of his fans who might be afraid of going through surgery for their ordeals. He recalled the issues during episode #2291 of the Joe Rogan Experience with Bert Kreischer. Rogan recalled how his nose was calcified due to it breaking multiple times during his martial arts days. In fact, his now-iconic voice sounded different in his younger days due to his stuffed nose.

But did you know that he was equally happy to see one of his preferred modern-day UFC fighters get the same surgery to fix their breathing issues? Yes, we’re talking about middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis.

Du Plessis also had a deviated septum and people mistook his breathing heavy for bad conditioning. According to his coach, the South African only had an 8% oxygen intake prior to the surgery. Comparing their situations, Rogan said, “I never knew, like how much cardio I was missing, not being able to breathe out of my nose.. Look at like Dricus Du Plessis, when he got his nose fixed, like he used to always fight with his mouth open and people thought he was out of shape and the guy just can’t breathe out of his nose.”  For Rogan, he says that his cardio capabilities went up by around 10% after the surgery.

Suffice it to say, both these UFC personalities breathe easy now. However, do you know that the JRE host is going through another major injury but is refusing to go under the knife?

Joe Rogan makes a confession about his back issues

Despite his advanced age, the UFC commentator maintains excellent physical condition, pushing himself through rigorous workouts and martial arts training. But even the fittest bodies have limitations. On an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, Joe Rogan discussed his ongoing battle with back issues, which has been considerably more difficult to manage than his deviated septum surgery. Unlike his first nose procedure, which he described as “life-changing,” the JRE host is completely avoiding surgery this time. But what’s the reason? Well, he’s seen how it affected others, including former UFC champion Daniel Cormier.

Years of martial arts training have taken a major toll on Joe Rogan’s body. Between Taekwondo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and years of intensive wrestling, his spine has been subjected to constant strain. “I have had a lot of back issues from disc degeneration from jiu-jitsu, you know. Twenty years of wrestling with men and getting your neck strangled—it does a lot of stuff to your back. That’s not good,” Rogan admitted. While surgery was a possibility, he refused due to the significant influence it had on Daniel Cormier’s career. He said, “I do not know anyone that has had back surgery and said, ‘That’s the best thing I ever did.’ Everyone, like Daniel Cormier, UFC champion, you know, he was like, “I was never the same once they cut my back open.’”

Instead of surgery, the UFC commentator has turned to alternative treatments such as stem cell therapy, which is quickly progressing and gaining popularity among athletes. As medical research advances, more people are looking to regenerative medicine as a safer, more effective alternative to standard operations. Joe Rogan appears to be one of them, avoiding invasive surgeries in favor of treatments that may assist his body in healing organically. But what do you think? Would you have gotten an operation if you were in his situation? Let us know in the comments.