"He's a tough night out"- Chael Sonnen describes why Joe Rogan didn't get any death threats amidst his recent slew of controversies

Chael Sonnen has weighed in on Joe Rogan's recent slew of controversies and suggested that regardless of the controversies, Rogan didn't receive death threats.

He asserted that while Rogan was criticized by certain people, they never issued threats of physical violence. Sonnen believes it's because they know the UFC commentator can put up a tough fight against anyone.

Rogan, a longtime martial arts practitioner and former Taekwondo competitor, is one of the most successful podcasters in the world today. That said, he's lately been accused of racism, spreading misinformation regarding the COVID-19 vaccines, and has been involved in other controversies of that ilk.

In an edition of Beyond the Fight, retired MMA fighter Sonnen indicated that most other people in Rogan's place generally receive threats of violence, at times even death threats. On that note, he emphasized that Rogan didn't receive such threats. Sonnen stated:

"Nobody said that to Joe. No, they said a lot of things to Joe. But they didn't say, 'When I see you, we're going to fight.' It's just one of those things where he's a tough night out. And Joe talked about what got him there; first time ever. First time ever, Joe Rogan program, and he says that there was a kid in a bathroom -- could mean a locker room, synonymous term. Joe was 14 years old."

Chael Sonnen explained that a 14-year-old Joe Rogan got pinned down by another teenager who had him in a head-lock. He highlighted that this incident of bullying turned into a watershed moment for Rogan, who subsequently chose to pursue martial arts knowledge to better prepare himself for any such future fights. Sonnen continued:

"And Joe said in that moment, he realized he needed to go get some training, join the wrestling team."

Watch Sonnen discuss the topic at 2:15 in the video below:

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Joe Rogan on the incident that motivated him to start his martial arts journey

On the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) podcast a few years ago, Rogan opened up about the locker room scuffle that led to him starting his martial arts journey. Speaking to fellow comedian Theo Von, Rogan noted that being head-locked and humiliated by another teenager made him aware of the significance of knowing how to fight.

Joe Rogan revisited his martial arts origins - be it starting wrestling after the locker room incident or eventually competing at a high level in Taekwondo. Crediting martial arts for helping him fight his fears, Rogan said:

"But that bullying and that guy doing that to me -- that fear of being helpless -- made me get into martial arts."

Watch Rogan address the topic at 1:30 in the video below: