Why Joe Rogan Won’t Travel to Canada for Massive UFC 315 Event

Joe Rogan is sticking by his vow not to enter Canada, even after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vacated his office. 

During Rogan’s UFC fight companion podcast Saturday, he asked his cohosts when Belal Muhammad would be fighting Jack Della Maddalena, and was informed it would be at UFC 315 in Montreal on May 10.

“Wow. I won’t be there. I don’t go to Canada anymore,” Rogan said. “I don’t.”

Cohost Brendan Schaub interjected, “Nor should you. Discipline them.”

“No, I’d rather go to Russia,” Rogan said, laughing. 

Rogan does not go to most international UFC events, but Montreal is not as long a haul as when the fight promotion travels to other continents. He has been a color commentator for UFC since 1997.

Earlier in the show, Rogan had made it clear that while he dislikes Canadian leaders, he is fond of the country’s people. “They have terrible government but the Canadian people are awesome,” he said.

Rogan has previously expressed his disdain for Trudeau, and on his show over the weekend called new Prime Minister Mark Carney “more of the same.” 

There will be a snap election in Canada on April 28, so perhaps Rogan could be swayed to end his travel boycott depending on the results. 

A UFC spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment about Rogan’s remarks.

On his podcast last July, Rogan explained he wouldn’t go to Canada while Trudeau was in charge, citing “ridiculous free speech laws” and “tyranny” of the government. 

“They can come down on you for a lot of things. They seized up the bank accounts for people who were protesting, the truckers. People who were donating to the truckers, they seized their bank accounts,” Rogan said. “It’s not a good place under this administration, at least.”

Rogan was referring to the fallout from 2022 after Canadian truckers descended on Ottawa in protest against vaccine mandates. 

“Get rid of that guy [Trudeau], I’ll come back. I just don’t trust any of it up there,” Rogan said. “I think they’re so far into tyranny right now … the erosion of people’s rights. I don’t want to support it. I think it’s horrible.”

As President Donald Trump has threatened a trade war with Canada via tariffs and even broached the idea of adding the country as our 51st state, tension has spilled into the sports world. During NHL All-Star weekend last month, Canadian fans vociferously booed the United States’ national anthem.