VIDEO | Joe Rogan makes his first ever UFC appearance

Today, Joe Rogan is as much a part of big UFC cards as the Octagon itself. Way back in 1997 when he debuted with the promotion, however, he was an unfamiliar face to many fight fans.

The UFC recently released footage of the first time Rogan ever appeared on a UFC broadcast, and it’s a trip. See it below.

Rogan began working for the UFC at UFC 12. Initially, he served as a backstage interviewer for the promotion, but quickly moved into a color commentary role. In this commentary role, he has called countless UFC fights — many featuring MMA legends like Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre.

Over the last few years, a number of fighters, such as Paul Felder, Daniel Cormier, and Dominick Cruz have joined him at the commentary desk—but as of yet, nobody has been able to replace him.

In addition to his duties as a UFC commentator, Rogan moonlights as the host of the popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast. The 52-year-old is also a successful stand-up comic with numerous specials to his name.

What are your thoughts on Joe Rogan as a UFC commentator? Were you watching when he made his commentary debut all the way back in 1997? Let us know in the comments section down below.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 4/23/2020.