Joe Rogan won't attend UFC 315 in Canada, jokes he'd rather do events in Russia

Podcaster Joe Rogan confirmed he will not be attending UFC 315, which takes place at the Bell Centre in Montreal on May 10, and expressed he has no plans to visit Canada anytime soon.

Rogan made these statements during a March 22 episode of his podcast. When UFC 315 came up in conversation, Rogan responded, “I don’t go to Canada anymore. I don’t,” and then joked that he’d rather visit Russia. His guest, former comedian and former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub, replied, “Nor should you.”

Rogan went on to discuss the possibility of Canada joining the United States, referencing a remark from US President Donald Trump, who has made comments about making Canada the 51st state. “When they become the US, you never know,” said Gordon Ryan, another guest on the show. Rogan quickly dismissed the idea, calling it “so crazy.”

Earlier in the podcast, the discussion turned to Canada’s politics. Rogan said that Canada’s electoral system was “squirrelly,” admitting he had some confusion over the system. He said that Canadians were “losing rights left and right,” mentioning the 2022 trucker convoy protests in Ottawa as an example. Rogan added that Canadian authorities froze the bank accounts of people who donated to the truckers.

Schaub added that some individuals involved in the protest were still in jail. Federal officials have said that no one remains incarcerated from the protest movement and that Pat King, one of the organizers, was sentenced to three months of house arrest earlier this year. Verdicts for other leaders, such as Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, are still pending.

Rogan and his guests also talked about Canada’s currently rocky relationship with the United States, saying that Canadians are generally seen as “nice and polite… until they’re not," making fun of the Canadian accent in his portrayal of how quickly people can be swayed to act in what he deemed “the right thing to do.”

Rogan has been outspoken about his views on Canada and its leadership. In previous podcasts, he criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s handling of the Ottawa Freedom Convoy, calling him a “creepy f*cking dictator.” Rogan doubted then-prime minister Trudeau’s decision to label the truckers protesting vaccine mandates as “racist” and “misogynistic” without evidence.