Joe Rogan challenged by PFL founder Donn Davis over claim that fighters can’t be elite outside UFC

Joe Rogan has clearly gotten under the skin of PFL founder Donn Davis, who has hit back at his claim about UFC fighter supremacy.

Controversial comedian and podcaster Rogan has been the voice of the UFC octagon for decades. And he truly believes that for a fighter to prove themselves as the best, they have to do it in the big leagues as opposed to anywhere else.

Davis has long claimed that the PFL is the MMA co-leader, particularly after their acquisition of long-time number two Bellator in 2024. And he hit back at Rogan with some major names that have chosen to call his league home instead of the UFC.

Joe Rogan claims you can’t be the best without UFC recognition

During the latest episode of his podcast, Joe Rogan made the point that if you want to lay claim to being the best in the world in MMA, you have to have proven it in the octagon. This is a widely held belief and appears to be backed up by the data, but it still irks rival promoters and fans.

“That title is worth so much,” he said of the UFC championship. “You know, it’s the name. It is the combat sports leader, and if you’re not in the UFC, I don’t care. Look, you can go to the PFL and you can win that million dollar tournament and I’m all for that.

“I’m very happy for those guys that they get to feed their families, they get to provide and they make a great living and they can retire with some money in the bank. But the reality is, part of what you’re doing is you’re trying to be the best, and if you’re going to be the best, you kind of have to be in the UFC.”

Donn Davis hits back at Joe Rogan’s claim

This clearly irritated PFL founder Donn Davis, who shared a list of fighters who have actively chosen the PFL or what was Bellator instead of the UFC. All of the names given have proven their mettle as some of the best on the planet, some of whom even winning gold in the octagon first.