Becoming the best UFC announcer isn’t easy because working as an announcer in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is not without risks. Fans of mixed martial arts (MMA) are brutally honest about how they feel about the UFC’s roster. Fans will recall one awkward phrase in a commentator’s commentary for a very long time.
As a result, it is obvious to have high-quality pundits describe what is occurring during a fight and bring events to life, whether you are an MMA expert or a regular fight watcher.
Since the UFC’s inception in 1993, Several UFC announcers are regarded by fans and experts. The most famous are Bruce Buffer, Joe Rogan, Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier, Michael Bisping, and Dominick Cruz. Here are the 16 top UFC announcers in the promotion’s brief 30-year history, in no specific order:
UFC Announcer
| Name | Country |
| Bruce Buffer | United States |
| Joe Rogan | United States |
| John Gooden | United Kingdom |
| Joe Anik | United States |
| Daniel Cormier | United States |
| Dan Hardy | United Kingdom |
| Michael Bisping | United Kingdom |
| Dominick Cruz | United States |
| Paul Felder | United States |
| Brenden Fitzgerald | United States |
| Mike Goldberg | United States |
| Kenny Florian | United States |
| Jeff Osborne | United States |
| Pat Miletich | United States |
| Jeff Blatnick | United States |
| Brian Stann | United States |
1. Bruce Buffer
Bruce Anthony Buffer is the “Veteran Voice of the Octagon” for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events and a professional ring commentator in mixed martial arts.
“It’s time!” is Buffer’s trademark call before the main event of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the President of The Buffer Partnership and is the half-sibling of boxer and professional wrestling ring commentator Michael Buffer. Buffer is a trained kickboxer who has earned a black belt in Tang Soo Do.
Buffer declared the UFC 8 qualifying fight in 1996 and hosted all UFC 10 bouts. “The One with the UFC Champion” was Friends Season 3 Episode 24 in 1997, where he played himself. He persuaded UFC boss Robert Myer to hire him as ring narrator, starting with UFC 13.
In his UFC announcing, Buffer uses catchphrases and the “Buffer 180,” where he moves straight across the Octagon before turning 180° and pointing to the presented area. Before most “Buffer 180s,” Buffer turns 45° and 90°. After months of urging from Joe Rogan, Buffer introduced Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar with a “Buffer 360” at UFC 100. He gave Randy Couture and Anderson Silva the “Buffer Bow” as a knight would to a lord.
Buffer has promoted many foreign MMA shows, including K-1 and HBO’s 2008 Joel Casamayor vs. Michael Katsidis boxing match. He announces the biennial ADCC submission grappling contest.
PS5 exclusive Destruction AllStars, created by Lucid Games and published in February 2021, features Buffer as the game’s main narrator. Buffer was the public address announcer for the ESPN Monday Night Football game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens at Allegiant Stadium on September 13, 2021.
Buffer presented Andrew Schulz in the stand-up comedy show “Infamous,” which aired in July 2022. Buffer made an appearance in advertisements for the Canadian mortgage company Dominion Lending Centres that season (2022-2020).
2. Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan would still be on the list if it were the top 5 UFC pundits. Being one of the most well-known individuals in the UFC, he is also widely recognized as the most well-known UFC announcer.
Joe joined the UFC in 2002 as a color commentator after interviewing since 1997. This endurance makes Joe one of the best UFC pundits and shows his love of MMA.
He commentated on his first 15 UFC events with no pay because the company had just shifted owners and was battling for money. He got the job because of his passion for MMA.
Today, Joe Rogan is still the UFC’s voice, despite only commentating on PPV events and working nine times in 2021.
In addition to his enthusiasm, Joe’s skills as a commentator include his ability to connect with the audience and his ability to speak naturally, as opposed to sounding forced and excessively professional. In addition to nearly 40 years of MMA experience, he has black belts in taekwondo, Bjj, and karate, which he brings to his commentary.
Backstage and post-fight reporter Rogan joined Ultimate Fighting Championship. On February 7, 1997, he debuted at UFC 12: Judgement Day in Dothan, Alabama. After viewing Royce Gracie’s fight at UFC 2: No Way Out in 1994, Sussman became interested in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and was hired by the company because he was pals with Campbell McLaren, its co-creator and initial director. After two years, he left because his pay couldn’t cover travel to the events, which were often held in rural areas.
After Zuffa bought the UFC in 2001, Rogan watched some events and became pals with its new CEO Dana White, who gave him a job as a color analyst. “Just wanted to go to the fights and drink,” Rogan initially refused. White hired Rogan for free in 2002 in return for primo event passes for him and his pals.
After 15 free commentary jobs, Rogan took pay and worked with Mike Goldberg until 2016.[10] Rogan was voted World MMA Awards MMA Personality of the Year four times and Wrestling Observer Newsletter Best Television Announcer twice.
3. John Gooden
John, a British MMA expert, has hosted many live events in MMA, combat sports, rugby, and athletics since joining the UFC in 2014. John’s feedback is always upbeat and valuable.
John has written, produced, reported, and presented for the UFC in addition to commentating. His most famous work was the UFC’s “inside the octagon” show with Dan Hardy, which offers detailed insight on future bouts and has 101 programs with an average view count of 750k+. Dan Hardy’s UFC release ended the show.
John Gooden is one of the top UFC announcers, but he has never worked at US events, which make up the bulk of UFC events. Gooden works at European events because he doesn’t have a US visa, and it’s cheaper and easier for the UFC to use one of their many US analysts.
John isn’t a warrior but has belts in BJJ, judo, and karate and has trained in MMA for years. The UFC keeps working with Gooden because of his flexibility and ability to learn and execute new tasks.
4. Jon Anik
Jon was the ideal candidate to assist with the transition once the UFC’s partnership with ESPN began in 2019. Previously an ESPN anchor covering MMA events from 2007 to 2011, Anik has been a UFC color commentator since 2011.
He replaced Mike Goldberg as the play-by-play announcer and has flourished in the position, allowing the color commentators to add substance by describing the action during bouts. Anik is one of the finest commentators because he offers excellent vigor and passion to his work.
He doesn’t bring any prejudices to his comments, and it’s evident that he has done his homework on the combatants. He is among the finest pundits at giving fans practical knowledge about bouts and combatants.
Anik’s meticulous pre-flight planning is the key to his success as a pundit. Before a UFC event, he notes down a fighter’s crucial details on a card and then memorizes them. He stores his collection of fighter cards, which number about 6,000, in a place he refers to as his fighter archive.
He co-hosts the “Anik Florian Podcast” with Kenny Florian, works most events, and is steady. His UFC deal ended in 2022, and he’ll likely take another.
5. Daniel Cormier
Known as “DC,” he is one of four UFC double champions. He was a Strikeforce winner, six-time world or Olympic wrestler, and 2022 UFC Hall of Famer. (inducted at UFC 274).
After retiring from mixed martial arts in 2020, Daniel began working full-time as a UFC analyst in 2016, though he had done so previously on a part-time basis. He considered a future as a WWE announcer near the conclusion of his MMA career but ultimately chose to contract with the UFC instead.
He has an overwhelming personality while commentating and brings his passion and enthusiasm to the microphone, similar to his heavyweight physique. He possesses an amazing sense of humor and rapport with the other commentators, and he balances this with a profound understanding of mixed martial arts and technical analysis. There are seldom uninteresting moments when DC provides commentary.
Due to his extensive combat experience, DC knows how to dissect bouts and is always fast to explain what’s happening during a match. Despite his abilities, he has been criticized for being partial to his favored combatants, and he finds it difficult to conceal his disapproval when commentating, particularly during interviews.
6. Dan Hardy
Dan, along with John Gooden, is a well-known British MMA expert and announcer. They are often referred to as the “inside the octagon” team. Fans look to him as the go-to guy for in-depth battle recaps and analysis because of his authoritative tone and extensive understanding of the sport.
He made his UFC debut in 2008, and after battling cardiac problems for a few years, he resigned in 2013. Dan had a chance at the UFC championship against one of the all-time greats, Georges St-Pierre, but he fell by the majority. Despite this setback, Dan still had a successful mixed martial arts career, ending with a 25-10 record.
Dan Hardy provides the best UFC commentary. His logical and clear speech, expertise as a fighter, guide of UK fighters, and many years as an MMA analyst and pundit make him a great critic and analyst.
However, critics say Dan can be skewed and lacks the energy and charisma to be one of the best UFC pundits, so the “inside the octagon” show was ideal for him.
Dan Hardy had a public spat with Herb Dean and an internal dispute with an unidentified employee, leading to his dismissal from the UFC in 2021.
7. Michael Bisping
“The Count” is a former UFC middleweight king, Cage Rage title, Ultimate Fighter season 3 light-heavyweight victor, and UFC Hall of Famer since 2019. In 2018, he became a UFC analyst.
Bisping became a UFC analyst because he was one of the first trash talkers, using his post-fight comments to get into big bouts and amuse fans.
Genuineness, wit, and enthusiasm are what make him such a good commentator; he always says what’s on his mind and isn’t hesitant to offend others.
He also jokes and laughs with his co-commentators, which makes UFC events more exciting. He’s also been chastised for smiling too much and discussing non-fighting topics.
Mike runs the show “Believe You Me” with Luis Gomez outside of the UFC and loves the sport and commentating.
In August 2021, the UFC signed Michael to a four-year contract to continue commentating.
8. Dominick Cruz
The UFC considers Michael to be one of the finest UFC commentators, committing him to a four-year contract in August 2021 that will retain him as a commentator for a significant number of events.
Cruz has a high combat IQ and a lot of experience, making him one of the best at dissecting boxer tactics and processes and describing what’s going on during a battle.
He’s honest and criticizes everything. He angered Cormier by saying he didn’t do his study before commentating and admiring Anik’s research. His opinion is entertaining, honest, and aggressive, unlike most others.
He’s honest and criticizes everything. He angered Cormier by saying he didn’t do his study before commentating and admiring Anik’s research. His opinion is entertaining, honest, and aggressive, unlike most others.
9. Paul Felder
Another fighter-turned-commentator in the UFC is Paul Felder, who has said he will resign from fighting in 2021 to devote his entire time to commentating.
Dana White’s Contender Series was his first commentary job. He made his UFC debut in 2017 after excelling there.
Paul is a skilled combatant with multiple black belts in taekwondo and karate and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He draws on this extensive background to provide insightful analysis in his comments.
He usually calls UFC Fight Nights but has called PPVs when needed. He talks like a warrior and is very affable and intense.
He’s always positive, has a great rapport with commentators, and can provide useful knowledge when needed.
10. Brendan Fitzgerald
Brendan has been a UFC analyst since 2017, when the UFC joined ESPN. Since 2010, he has hosted and covered hoops and football for KGBT, Fox, and ESPN.
He leads the betting show On The Line on UFC Fight Pass and is a UFC narrator and performer. Like Paul Felder, Brendan’s first analysis gig was Dana White’s Contender Series, where he impressed and was hired for mostly Fight Night events.
His expertise as a broadcaster, coupled with his lack of knowledge about mixed martial arts, provides for engaging comments.
As he has commented on a variety of sports, he has an aptitude for learning and communicating new sports as a novice, which is beneficial for viewers who may need help comprehending or relating to highly experienced commentators.
11. Mike Goldberg
He began his 20-year career as a UFC announcer at UFC Japan in 1997, four years after the UFC’s founding. Known as “Goldie,” he was part of the initial analysis duo with Joe Rogan. He was a Bellator MMA color analyst until 2021.
Mike’s innovation and UFC commitment made him great. “Here we go,” “it is all over,” and “just like that” are his reporting catchphrases. Mike was charming and great at building up fights. His rapport with Joe Rogan likely kept him in the UFC.
It’s impossible to critique someone who worked for the UFC for 20 years; he must have been doing something right, despite criticism that he lacks MMA expertise in his comments. Having worked as long as Mike did, he inevitably made some mistakes or said some things that were misunderstood or poorly received. This is to be expected and in no way diminishes his standing as one of the finest UFC pundits.
12. Kenny Florian
Kenny is one of two UFC fighters with a black belt in Bjj and has competed in four weight classes. His comments show his expertise. While still fighting, he filled in for AWOL UFC announcers in 2008.
Florian co-hosted ESPN’s MMA Live. He then co-hosted “UFC Tonight” with Michael Bisping, providing insight. He has been a Battlebots color analyst since 2015.
Kenny used his hosting and combat expertise to provide excellent, competent analysis. He rarely spoke unless necessary. However, some may find this dull and unengaging.
He thinks he fell out of favor with the UFC’s upper echelons because he declined an offer to train Ultimate Fighter Latin America many years ago.
Kenny soon became a PFL color analyst alongside Randy Couture after fleeing the UFC, proving his MMA commentary skills.
13. Jeff Osborne
Jeff, a former MMA promoter and owner of the company ‘HOOKnSHOOT’ (1995-2017), paved the path for women’s MMA well before Strikeforce’s first female MMA fight in 2006. Frank Mir and Antonio Nogueira were among the early champions of mixed martial arts who fought for them before moving on to more significant promotions.
Before joining the UFC, Jeff commented on his promotion. His croaky voice and zeal made him a great commentator for clandestine, grassroots MMA.
He promoted and commented on fights and entertained audiences. He probably needed more time to prepare for the UFC’s more polished analysis style.
14. Pat Miletich
The creator of Miletich Fighting Systems, which has produced 11 MMA winners, is Pat, a former UFC lightweight champion. Miletich Fighting Systems is regarded as one of the finest MMA schools.
He covered for AWOL UFC announcers and was very good, making it surprising he was never hired. Pat called MMA Live and Legacy Fighting Alliance on UFC Fight Pass for ESPN.
MMA expertise aside, Pat was a full-time color analyst for Strikeforce from 2009 to 2012.
Pat was a fair, competent pundit as well as a boxer and teacher. The UFC leaders may have seen him as dry, dull, and too guarded to be one of the best UFC pundits.
15. Jeff Blatnick
Olympic gold medalist Jeff Blatnick served as a commentator from UFC 4 to UFC 32 (Dec 1994 to June 2001) for a total of seven years. Unfortunately, due to his passing in 2012, he was not honored in the UFC Hall of Fame in 2015.
Blatnick was ideal as a pundit because many of the early UFC athletes were wrestling strong. He explained all stances and wrestling maneuvers well to the crowd.
The UFC gained fans and authority by having a former Olympic gold winner comment on a new sport. As UFC commissioner, he worked with sports authorities to create the Unified Rules of MMA and sanction the sport in the US.
Jeff coined the word MMA during his comments, starting around UFC 10. While most were calling it no hands barred, Jeff saw that changing the name would help the sport improve its image.
His comments reflect his inexperience in the sport, as he only wrestled.
But he matured into the part and made himself one of the finest UFC commentators by studying MMA and improving his broadcasting skills.
16. Brian Stann
Shortly after quitting as a competitor in 2013, UFC commentator Brian, a former UFC combatant, WEC light heavyweight champion, and United States Marine, found himself in the UFC’s analysis studio. Fans were disappointed when he departed in 2017 to pursue other interests after he had been one of the most famous pundits for four years.
Brian called bouts well-researched and entertainingly. He was a former boxer and gave thorough answers in the cage.
Between UFC bouts, he called boxing and college sports. He often recalled information from athletes or coaches before bouts during comments.
On the other hand, like some of the other commentators, Brian has been criticized for being too formal, official, and prim, most likely due to his time spent in the Marines. In addition, he had a tendency to be prejudiced and single out one combatant at a time during a bout.
Conclusion
The UFC’s popularity among combat sports fans is mainly due to its commentators. The enthusiasm surrounding MMA and UFC events has been greatly enhanced by a number of combatants, including Bruce Buffer, Joe Rogan, Michael Bisping, Daniel Cormier, Jon Anik, and many others, referred to as the best UFC announcers.
- Read Also: Best UFC Coaches of All Time
