How to watch UFC 278 with Rob Gronkowski and family on commentary instead of Joe Rogan

If the idea of a Kamaru Usman title fight isn’t enough to sell you on buying the UFC 278 pay-per-view, ESPN is throwing in an extra sweetener. For one glorious night, you can mute Joe Rogan at cageside and opt for alternative commentary instead.

The kind of alternative commentary you might hear on, say, a party bus. Or a party cruise. Any kind of party that might be crashed by a golden retriever transformed into a 6-foot-6 future Hall of Fame tight end by a hammered warlock.

That’s right, instead of the ManningCast, ESPN is giving UFC 278 the GronkCast. No fewer than six Gronkowskis, headlined by former Patriot and Buccaneer Rob, will be breaking down the card on ESPN+.

It’s not the UFC’s first foray into celebrity commentary. The company unveiled a “SnoopCast” pairing Snoop Dogg with Hall of Famer Urijah Faber for Dana White’s Contender Series fights back in 2017. Snoop’s contributions, as possibly expected, were mostly nonsense. That sets a low bar the Gronks can likely clear, even if their commentary degrades into party bus etiquette or ranking Arby’s sandwiches.