Dana White and Joe Rogan are possibly two of the most recognizable figures in the UFC. However, for Sage Steele, they may as well have been the same person! The former ESPN host was in the news recently when a clip from the ‘Sage Steele Podcast’ went viral online due to her interaction with the UFC CEO.

Towards the end of the podcast, Steele posed a question to “Joe Rogan” while talking to Dana White leading to an incredulous reaction by the UFC boss. The clip drew a lot of attention online for the hilarious yet awkward situation. But in a recent revelation, Steele broke down how she wasn’t entirely responsible for the gaffe and why she chose to not cut that part of the interview out of the final podcast release!

The Dana White-Joe Rogan blunder blamed on ‘bad timing’

Sage Steele recently explained why she mistakenly referred to UFC President Dana White as podcaster Joe Rogan twice during an interview! At the beginning of the podcast, Steele accidentally referred to White as “Joe” when thanking him for joining her in wearing matching socks.

However, the second slip-up was much more noticeable as for her last question she asked the UFC boss, “What’s Joe Rogan’s dream?” when a noticeably confused White repeated her question back to her, she tried to shrug it off by mentioning both names. But White wasn’t letting the slip-up pass by as he exclaimed, “Did you just think I was Joe Rogan? She just called me f****** Joe Rogan. You thought I was f****** Joe Rogan? I was bald before Joe was ever bald!”

As such, in her recent appearance on the ‘Gutfeld!’ show, Steele revealed what led to the mistake. She stated, “Because why? Because they work together with UFC and because when the show began, at the beginning Dana came in drinking a drink and I said, ‘What is that?’ and he’s like ‘It’s Joe Rogan’s drink’. Like that happened an hour and 20 minutes into my podcast.”

Steele also admitted that the two men did resemble one another and used the example of her children to confess that she sometimes messes up their names too! She further went on to state, “Was the timing good? No…However yes, thank you, I could have edited it out, and I kept it in because I’m an idiot. Why not? You got to make fun of yourself.”

Her decision to keep the mistake in the final release added a touch of authenticity to the interview and highlighted her capability to find humor in the situation and roll with the punches as they came.

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During the same conversation, Dana White also revealed his approach towards sponsorships in the UFC and highlighted his choice to stick by his code rather than give in to their demands!

White reveals why he’s “done” with sponsors 

In a stunning disclosure, Dana White broke down why he is taking a stand against sponsors and their demands. During the podcast with Sage Steele, the UFC boss revealed that he had turned down a large sum of money due to not agreeing with certain sponsor’s demands to dictate his online actions or the UFC’s decisions.

White stated, “I was with some sponsors, too, that called and I was like, ‘Go f*** yourself. Take your money, roll it up in a little ball, and shove it right up your ass, because I’m done.”

He revealed that he refused to bow down to sponsors, whether it’s about his online posts regarding former president Donald Trump or criticism faced by UFC commentator Joe Rogan in the past.  While White didn’t disclose the specific sponsor involved, he stated, “I think there’s a level of arrogance with these people…”

Despite concerns of a potential fallout with sponsors, White’s approach hasn’t hindered the UFC’s financial success as sponsorships reached a new all-time high of $196 million in 2023, marking an 18 percent increase from the previous year. In essence, White’s stringent stance reflects his commitment to preserving the UFC’s integrity and independence in the face of external pressure.

Do you think Dana White and Joe Rogan look identical? And what do you think about the UFC boss’s approach to sponsorship demands? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 

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