Watch: Sage Steele awkwardly confuses Dana White with Joe Rogan

UFC president Dana White is pictured here, but Sage Steele might think it's Joe Rogan. Aaron Meullion-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Sage Steele awkwardly confuses UFC boss Dana White with Joe Rogan

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Mar 27, 2024 7:52 PM ET

Following UFC president Dana White’s recent appearance on “The Sage Steele Show,” it’s a good thing the program’s host, Sage Steele, no longer works at ESPN.

After all, it would be a bad look for the network if one of its anchors didn’t know who the president of the largest mixed martial arts promotion in the world was, especially considering ESPN and the UFC signed a seven-year, $1.5 billion broadcast rights deal back in 2018 to make the network the official home of the promotion's fight nights and select pay-per-view events.

Steele’s latest blunder will be one that’s tough to live down anytime soon after her cringeworthy interaction with White in which she confused him with UFC color commentator, podcaster and standup comic Joe Rogan.

Video of the bizarre interaction is below. Warning: The video contains colorful language.

pic.twitter.com/Zyu8R8gkyy
— danawhite (@danawhite) March 27, 2024

Although White and Rogan bear a striking resemblance to one another (they’re both bald, middle-aged white men) and are of a similar build — White is 5-foot-11 and roughly 220 pounds, while Rogan is 5-foot-8 and approximately 200 pounds — confusing the two isn’t a mistake those familiar with the UFC typically make.

White’s initial reaction appeared to indicate he felt insulted, but by the end of the interview, he seemed to laugh it off.

Steele also confused White with Rogan earlier in the show, even calling him Joe at the beginning of their interaction, but White seemed to not pick up on it.

She called him Joe at the beginning of the podcast as well pic.twitter.com/DAsA7jLLH4
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 27, 2024

Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher is a longtime sports journalist based out of Nashville with a decade of experience covering college football, mixed martial arts and prep sports plus the NFL and NHL — specifically the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. He’s covered several notable sporting events including an AFC Championship game, a Stanley Cup Final, an NHL All-Star Game and an NHL Stadium Series. Some of his past bylines can be found at the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, The Hockey News and Fox Sports Knoxville

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