Paul Felder Replaces Joe Rogan on Broadcast Duties for UFC 266 on Saturday Night

For the second consecutive pay-per-view event, a familiar face will be missing from the UFC broadcast team.

Longtime commentator Joe Rogan will miss UFC 266 on Saturday night, and as a result, will be replaced by retired lightweight contender Paul Felder in the booth. Felder will join play-play voice Jon Anik and fellow retired analyst Daniel Cormier on the cageside broadcast team. Rogan will miss the card to go on a hunting trip, according to a report from MMAjunkie.com. Felder, who retired in 2020, has been calling UFC events since 2017.

Rogan was also absent for UFC 265 in August due to scheduling conflicts with his comedy tour. Rogan has been working with the Las Vegas-based promotion since 1997 and has been a staple of the organization’s pay-per-view broadcasts.

UFC 266 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night and is headlined by a featherweight title clash between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega, while Valentina Shevchenko will defend her flyweight crown against Lauren Murphy in the co-main event. The card will also see Nick Diaz return from a six-year hiatus to square off against Robbie Lawler. The main card airs on pay-per-view via ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while prelims begin on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and continue on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.