Where’s Joe Rogan? Fans blast ‘disrespectful’ (and unexplained) absence for Dustin Poirier retirement fight at UFC 318

Jesse Holland is among the longest-tenured media professionals in the combat sports news space, covering MMA, professional wrestling and boxing on a full-time basis since early 2004.

Joe Rogan doesn’t travel to international events, so it’s not uncommon to see him replaced at the commentary table when the promotion heads overseas. But it’s unusual for Rogan to miss a stateside pay-per-view (PPV), which is why fans are scratching their heads after it was revealed that Paul Felder — a commentary mainstay for APEX fight cards — will be joining Jon Anik and Daniel Cormier for UFC 318 this weekend in New Orleans.

MMA Fighting reported the lineup change on Monday.

Fans on Felder’s Instagram page called the absence “disrespectful” because UFC 318 marks the final fight for headlining attraction (and hometown hero) Dustin Poirier. “The Diamond” will rematch Max Holloway for the “BMF” belt in the five-round main event. Early reports have rapper “Lil’ Wayne” walking the Louisianan to the Octagon on Sat. night (July 19, 2025) inside Smoothie King Center in “The Pelican State.”

“It’s in New Orleans, his hometown, and the UFC are going there specifically for Dustin Poirier, and that’s incredible,” former UFC middleweight champion, Michael Bisping, said on YouTube. “That could be the fairy tale farewell to an unbelievable career of one of everyone’s favorite fighters. But it brings a lot of pressure, it brings a lot of anxiety. You’ve got friends and family, they’re all in town, they all want to see you perform, you’re like the local hero. It brings a lot of pressure, I’m telling you right now. I’ve been there many times. Every time I fought in England, it was a little bit more stressful. But I was also undefeated in England because you want to do the people justice, you want to make them proud, and it pushes you in the training camp.”

“It’s going to be tremendous, and it will be the final time we get to see Dustin Poirier compete inside the Octagon, but I don’t know if he’s going to be the winner,” Bisping continued. “Listen, never doubt Dustin Poirier, but never doubt Max Holloway. Yes, Max Holloway was just knocked out against Ilia Topuria, so that could present some problems for him. That could have weakened the chin. Sometimes people get cracked, they get knocked out, and they’re never the same again. Or it could have lit a fire under his ass and he’s like, ‘You know what? I’m going to show the people. I’m coming to Louisiana to whoop some ass.’ And honestly, at this point, I don’t know which way it’s going down.”

For the rest of the UFC 318 fight card and PPV lineup click here.