Mike Goldberg's departure from the UFC did not go down will with many fans of MMA.
While there were many who vocally complained about Goldberg as a commentator, mainly due to his occasional mistakes some of which were instantly corrected by Joe Rogan, there were also some who considered him to be a staple of the UFC experience. The decision to remove him was a divisive one.
But what has been widely criticised is the fact that Goldberg was not given any kind of send off. Not even a goodbye.
It was cold, and many fans, journalists, and fighters expected better for someone who clearly loved their job. The likes of Chael Sonnen and Matt Serra used their popular podcasts to ask questions and wish Goldie well, but there was a curious silence from his long-time broadcast partner Joe Rogan.
That changed on Sunday night as Rogan addressed the situation during the fight companion for UFC Phoenix, where Goldberg was seen enjoying the event from the crowd.
That's either Mike Goldberg or someone who is Virtually Identical. #UFCPhoenix ? pic.twitter.com/x1xIwU9yRt
— MMA GUERILLA ®™ (@BloodsportTV) January 16, 2017
Rogan admitted he that he will be friends with Mike until the day he dies and admitted that he didn't know why he was not given a proper send-off.
Mike is my friend, and you know, the UFC was sold to WME, they have their own thoughts on what they want to do.
I didn't know what to do man, they didn't want to [give him a send-off]. I don't know whats going on in terms of organisations, I literally know Dana, and Dana is the reason why I'm still there.
So there we have it. As we expected, it was a cold decision by the new owners, who it is surprising to see are essentially faceless to the likes of Joe Rogan, rather than the wider MMA community.
In the meantime, Ariel Helwani today revealed the UFC's plans for the broadcasting of UFC 208, the first numbered UFC event since Goldberg's departure, and it suggests that the search for his replacement goes on.
Lost in that UFC 208 talk was the announcement that they will be doing a 3-man booth for UFC 208. Anik, Rogan and DC. Great idea, IMO.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 16, 2017
Anik and Cormier with the commentary team for UFC Pheonix, and they will be inviting Joe Rogan in for a three-man team at UFC 208. If this situation is flexible, mainly to allow for the inclusion of the serious enjoyable Brian Stann, it could be a good move going forward.
Rogan was speaking on the latest episode of his fight companion which you can watch in full below.
