"Big yikes," "Seems like a reach to me" - Fans divided over Joe Rogan allegedly copying jokes from Brendan Schaub

Joe Rogan and Brendan Schaub have been friends and fellow comedians for many years. Rogan has now faced criticism from some netizens for allegedly stealing Schaub's jokes. The joke-stealing allegations have seemingly elicited mixed reactions from the MMA community and beyond.

Rogan is a veteran of the American entertainment industry, who's worked as an actor, reality TV host, comedian, and more. The 57-year-old is best known for his lengthy tenure as a UFC color commentator and for his widely-followed JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) podcast.

On the other hand, the 41-year-old Schaub is a former UFC heavyweight who currently works in the stand-up comedy and podcasting realms. Rogan has often been credited for helping Schaub forge a successful career in the comedy and broader entertainment realms.

Rogan's latest comedy special 'Burn the Boats,' released on Netflix on Aug. 3, 2024, has drawn praise from some and condemnation from others. Its content includes jokes about certain much-discussed socio-political issues.

A video recently posted by 'The Elephant Graveyard' YouTube channel showed footage from Rogan's 'Burn the Boats,' wherein he's seen jokingly speculating about how his life would've been if he were gay. Rogan also jestingly mimicked a Chinese accent. The video also showcased footage of Schaub having made similar jokes in the past.

Watch snippets from the video in the tweet below:

Fans soon weighed in on it, with multiple X users harking back to the time Joe Rogan confronted Carlos Mencia onstage for allegedly stealing jokes. One commenter opined that Rogan stole unfunny jokes and made them unfunnier, while another asserted that he shouldn't do stand-up comedy ever again.

An observer lightheartedly alluded to the Rogan-Schaub friendship and highlighted that Rogan's been writing the ex-UFC heavyweight's jokes and was technically performing his own jokes. For context, Schaub has often expressed his admiration and respect for the UFC commentator. Another fan wrote:

"Big yikes"

On the contrary, some fans implied that the people accusing Joe Rogan of stealing Schaub's jokes were simply reaching. An X user explained that the jokes about being a gay person and about putting on a Chinese accent have been used by many comics in the past. One fan tweeted:

"Seems like a reach to me maybe a bit similar but I don't think it's enough to accuse him of stealing this is a l*me take."

Check out the screenshots of a few reactions below:

Screenshots of tweets

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Brendan Schaub expressed his gratitude toward Joe Rogan for his advice

Brendan Schaub had a rather heartwrenching conversation with Joe Rogan while filming an edition of The Fighter and The Kid podcast around a decade ago. Following Schaub's first-round TKO defeat against Travis Browne in Dec. 2014, Rogan and Schaub conversed on the podcast and the commentator urged the UFC heavyweight to retire from MMA.

Speaking on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet podcast in 2022, Schaub explained that though the fighter in him was defensive and embarrassed, he knew Rogan was right. The Browne matchup turned out to be his last, and Schaub announced his MMA retirement in 2015.

Schaub acknowledged that Rogan wanted him to preserve his health and focus on other endeavors. Furthermore, he emphasized that their heart-to-heart conversation was put out there, as it could help other fighters facing similar situations.

Check out Schaub's comments below: (26:38-28:14):