The long-tenured UFC commentator Joe Rogan got emotional on a recent episode of Joe Rogan Experience podcast with rapper and songwriter Jelly Roll.
Joe Rogan has close understanding of this experience of extreme vulnerability and has disclosed that he feels a profound connection with the fighters.
Rogan came across an old photo of his late friend and former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner and brought him up in conversation with Jelly Roll. Evidently, Rogan harbored lasting sorrow for his demise, which poured out while he spoke about him.
He also discussed the death of Tanner from heat exhaustion in the desert while on a solo camping trip in 2008:
“There’s a dude named Evan Tanner, he was a UFC champion and a very interesting guy. He would do these things [where] he would go on a walkabout to try to find himself. He did one in Death Valley, and heat stroke apparently affects your ability to think straight. He couldn’t figure out where the water was.”
Rogan continued:
“I’ve never had a heat stroke, but the way it’s described, no matter how tough you are, your brain doesn’t work right… Like you’re about to die, and then he died.”
Joe Rogan grew a beard as a tribute to Evan Tanner, honoring his memory and showcasing solidarity with the late MMA fighter, who he held in high regard.
After Tanner's death, Joe Rogan grew out a beard in memory of his late friend. pic.twitter.com/Ud6VO5Yx0A
— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) September 5, 2019
