A daily roundup of all your fighting news from MMA Mania, By submitting your email, you agree to our, MMA Mania, UFC news, results, videos, rumors, fights, UFC 267: Bruce Buffer replaced by Joe Martinez, ending 25-year announcing streak. Trust me. IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE an unusual surname, but it is. Like me or don't like me, performance-wise or as a person, all I can do is be the best I can be. A post shared by Michael Buffer (@realmichaelbuffer) Across his near four decades in the sport, Michael Buffer has become the face of ringside announcing, and man has it paid off for the 76-year-old. Cowboy took a foot to the face in the fight's opening seconds, and McGregor pounced like a cheetah and bashed Cowboy's head until Dean had seen enough. "It said Joe Buffer, with a phone number. I've fought this way in the streets, my own street fighting experiences." Bruce Anthony Buffer (born May 21, 1957) is an American professional mixed martial arts ring announcer and the official octagon announcer for UFC events, introduced on broadcasts as the "Veteran Voice of the Octagon". Bruce has been steeped in fighting and poker and guns and martial arts and all manner of manly pursuits from birth. The Shirley Bassey version, not the Kanye one with just the hook that the kids prefer. "Wow.". It was a ho-hum card, so Bruce wasn't booked for it, but he wouldn't have gone even if he had been. Yes. But the basic fighter or athlete, I realized they seem to think they need to be hugely popular before they can get a hat or a T-shirt, a sponsorship deal, or whatever. I've had the chance to create some very fantastic friendships and relationships over the years. The job left him with lots of time to watch Top Rank Boxing on ESPN. (Note: Bruce lives alone.). The turning point for Bruce, in fact, had nothing to do with UFC. For the first 24 years of his career as the UFC's Octagon announcer, Bruce Buffer fed off the energy of crowds to deliver what he calls his most impactful "roars."But then COVID-19 happened, and . theScore: So, when you're sitting cage-side, maybe you're prepping for the next announcement, but you're also enjoying the fights just as much as the person next to you. Forty seconds! Buffer, known for his iconic and emphatic UFC announcements, was used to . UFC announcer Bruce Buffer looks back after 17 years in the octagon SI Staff May 10, 2013 Bruce Buffer did not know he was the half-brother of boxing announcer Michael Buffer until he was. The UFC's challenges in the star-making department aren't Bruce's fault. December 13, 2020 5:00 pm ET. The father-son thing trumped the brother-brother thing. Thanks Bruce your rock!! To be fair, it was a long night. Well, that's the way I am before I enter the Octagon. Everybody thinks because of my brother - the great Michael Buffer - that you need to have a catchphrase, but you don't. Click links below for more detail about each option being offered! He makes the VIPs at ringside feel glad they dressed up. Buffer has also extended to licensing products, among them video games, toys and movies. Literally, Staredowns! (Editor's note: Interview edited for length and clarity.). Before Donald Trump insisted that Michael announce every single fight at Trump's Atlantic City casinos in the 1980s, Michael was making a nice living as a model. People kept asking too. 10:16 Corporate Events; Sporting Events; Wedding Intros; Birthdays; Social Media Promos; Babies Births. Jenny Ha: Former OHOF Teen Board Member * Clinton "Doc" Hole An Oklahoma Saddle Maker * Oklahoma Hall of Fame Member Spotlight: Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher * Oklahoma Hall of Fame Class of . Obviously, you always want to see them make as much money as they can there. His name then was Michael Huber, and he got the surname from his foster parents, or as he calls them, his parents. Buffer: You wait for the right opportunity. Instead he's rewatching a comedy favorite for the third time, "Derry Girls," a sitcom set in 1990s Northern Ireland, featuring a cast with accents thicker than a Sheffield fight fan's. It's a measure of what a force majeure this virus is that it could force a majeure like Bruce Buffer into isolation. Even though he has always known the truth of his name, he's had a much greater challenge transcending it and making it his own. "Yeah, we might have charged more money for the product and all like that, but it's just the way it was," he said. Joe was a former Marine drill instructor who survived brutal combat in the Pacific theater during World War II -- or maybe he was a former naval officer, who saw even more brutal combat in the Pacific theater? I announced the winner, and the guy came up and he shook my hand. If at any point during those 40 years you watched a boxing match on television, and especially if a title belt was on the line, the odds are strong that Michael Buffer was the ring announcer. And every time I think it's been the greatest night, boom, another great night happens. Before one of the under-under-under cards, he swung by and said this would be a good match -- talent versus experience. In a few days, it would no longer be up to him. But I'm not going to retire. Bruce Buffer isn't going anywhere - at least for now. At 63, Buffer has been the . "Let's see, how old was I? No bitterness, no recriminations. Tonight, though, he was here for just one: the main event. You wrote a book, played professional poker, launched a line of bourbon, and much more. It wasn't until maybe a couple years later that I developed, "It's time," as my catchphrase for the main event. Erin Blanchfield stakes her place among the pound-for-pound elite of women's MMA. Bruce Power has donated $25,000 to Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce on Friday in mark of National Employee Appreciation Day. In case you were looking for another reason to despise COVID-19, Veteran Voice of the Octagon, Bruce Buffer, was struck down by coronavirus and removed from the UFC 267 fight card, which takes place this Sat. Look at all the great shows we've had just in the last year. When I asked Michael how they took it, he said, "Stiff upper lip." And that's what we do. And then ". His big brother, Brian, still runs their family's gun-show business, but Bruce is an active participant and an avid collector. Michael is a skeptic by nature, and he's stunned that so many people can't do simple math. Saw myself." And if you're with a company and they give you a clothing deal, you're probably going to receive maybe 10% of the net profits off that deal. Michael's distinctive slogan, 'Let's get ready to rumble,' was trademarked when they teamed up. $10 million. BRUCE BUFFER GREW UP in the Philadelphia area and then moved to a middle-class surfing town near Malibu with his World War II veteran father, mom Connie, now 91, whom he still calls after every fight, and his big brother -- Brian. !, which came out last October. He praised the wardrobes, and in my head I heard waaaaaaard-rooooooobe! My main-event speech pretty much is along the same lines every time. And to me, it's not what I say, it's how I say it. The automated Twitter account UFC Roster Watch broke the Till announcement last night Till's last win inside the cage came in 2018 when he defeated Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 244 So, hopefully, one day I'll get a call. It was only then that Michael began to deliver it as he does to this day. Age. It's even more fun when you don't know what he's going to say. This was in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which just so happened to be the greatest time in human history to be a male model. Bruce Buffer did as he was told. 1:18 Wedding "Thanks, Bruce! I was never catchphrase-driven. theScore: Most would say you're one of the most beloved figures in UFC history. Twice he has blown out his knee in the ring, and he takes pride that neither blowout kept him out of duty. And then out of nowhere, his long-lost brother Bruce showed up and solved everything. Coming up in the shadow of a legend drove him to find his own voice, conquer his own sport, be his own Buffer. McGregor by TKO. Sign up for the "I'm all about passion, everything I do is with a passion that is the reason why I announce the way I do. For the UFC, it was a roaring success: It had rebooted the sport's most famous and controversial star after he'd faced multiple criminal allegations. (Oct. 30, 2021) on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. Joe was an imposing man, and he taught Bruce that the world is a dark and fearsome place, and that to survive and succeed, he needed to impose his will on it. "Listen -- catchy little f---ing things like that I'm not really into," UFC president Dana White told me over the phone. It's grown over the years. Had the tuxedo with, like, this James Bond flair. I might not want to travel to 35 shows a year. He's always very prepared and kills it every single time.". They both guffawed. "1776" when a weird announcement sound starts playing. He was back in the ring in a month. Coach McGregor Looks Crazed In TUF 31 Leak, Surprise! Michael noticed that audiences were reacting to it, and he liked saying it, even though his delivery at that stage would be unrecognizable from how he does it now. Michael takes his time. But UFC announcer Bruce Buffer also brings it with his stylish array of suits and tuxedos in the octagon and away from it as well. Thanks to Cameo, a celebrity video-sharing app, Bruce will record an epic announcement for literally anyone within just three hours of their request. The UFC is a very well-oiled machine, and everybody is in there to do the best job that they can do. Whereas Bruce is cagey about it, protective, Michael is more circumspect, as if he's reserving conclusion until all the facts are in. theScore: One thing I find fascinating is the evolution of the Buffer fist bump. What moments stand out to you? That was all Bruce. And now it's time for the champ. Fasten your seatbelts! IT TOOK THE CORONAVIRUS to ground Bruce Buffer. Buffer's trademark "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" slogan has allowed him to branch out into announcing all matter of events from sports, to entertainment, to corporate functions and private parties. Bruce jumps around. "I bring it every time.". Bruce Buffer's catchphrase is "It's time!" This phrase is used to hype up the crowd and get them excited for the upcoming fight. Bruce Buffer UFC Announcer Despite being well into his 60s, fan-favourite Buffer doesn't plan on slowing down anytime soon. I can announce somebody and not look at the card and get it all right. Every time he opened a phone book, he checked for a Buffer. The problem is that most young athletes or most older, experienced athletes, they don't want to have to go out and buy the merchandise and sell it and stock it and ship it. Dont miss a single second of EPIC face-punching action! So, instead of doing it for free on Instagram or Reddit, you charge a little bit of money to your dedicated fan base to give them even more of a dedicated thing, and you make money. Tighten it up, Mike. And in a sense, he didn't. UFC Octagon . I only go over the fighters' names to make sure I have them right. John Gooden takes over as roving reporter and retired UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen joins Anik on the Blachowicz vs. Teixeira post-fight show. Bruce Buffer made his octagon debut in 1996 at UFC 8, headlined by Ken Shamrock and Kimo Leopoldo. Bruce seemed to know something about every fighter. This Michael Buffer loved boxing too! The UFC event in Brazil went on as scheduled on March 14, though under surreal circumstances -- an empty arena, every word audible, like a sparring match in a comically oversized gym. From that day on, it was pretty nice for me.". Two of the sports world's most iconic voices, and for weeks we communicate in spurts of text bubbles. But I'm enjoying the fights. As we detail later in this article, Michael very wisely trademarked his famous phrase. And it's become a thing. He even discusses how he sued Disney. in broadcaster 2 tags michael buffer, let's get ready to rumble, wrestling, professional wrestling, ringside announcer, mc, wwf, wwe Lindsay Gaze: 'I thought he was playing one of his typical practical jokes', Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement - 2015 Knute Rockne: 'Win just one for the Gipper', Notre Dame v Army half-time - 1928 theScore: It's been 25 years since you first stepped into the Octagon. MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 267 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ Prelims bouts at 10:30 a.m. It's phenomenal. $159 - Personal Audio / Voicemail Recordings can be purchased HERE UFC's Bruce Buffer will miss first pay-per-view event in over 24 years after testing positive for COVID-19 Bruce Buffer's incredible run is coming to an end Just like managing my brother, when they want him or me to do things, they come after us. Bruce Buffer is about to break his historical UFC streak, which ranks somewhere above The Undertaker but below Cal Ripken. There had to be a connection. The only moment of awkwardness came when Michael and Joe tried to sort out what to call Joe, since Michael wasn't comfortable with "Dad" and Joe wasn't comfortable with his son calling him Joe. And I'll always bring it, and I bring it 100%. He's the challenger, after all, the baby brother by 13 years. He understands lines, the power of stillness and holding a pose, and so his mere presence brings a shimmer of elegance to, well, Sheffield. Have you noticed an increase in fighters who reach out for a fist bump during their prefight introduction? theScore: You recently launched Millions.co, a social e-commerce platform that connects athletes with fans. HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION SUPER FIGHT! For much of their lives, Bruce and Michael led separate existences, Michael with his foster parents, Bruce with his birth parents -- with their birth father -- connected and unconnected, as intertwined and radically different as boxing and ultimate fighting, the same and the opposite. "This is the world I'd grown up in, trained in. I was just so happy we all got along.". Atlantic City, the boxing mecca of the East Coast in that era, was just 60 miles from Philly, so Michael began writing to all of the hotels that were hosting fights, and he slipped in his headshot before he mailed the envelope. All the same, he was now world famous. But he delivers those two words in a primal growl that has become famous across the sport, a crescendo-decrescendo one-two punch, like he's scaling a cliff and then BASE jumping off of it, elongating each "I" within an inch of its life: IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT'STIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME! Bruce Buffer has built his career almost entirely around mixed martial arts. I'm in this game to stay healthy so I can keep doing my work and take care of my loved ones and family around me. Listen: Devin Gordon discusses how the most famous voices in fighting found each other on the ESPN Daily podcast. But I clear everything with production. newsletter. Jon Jones claims past drug test failures no longer valid, wa Rockhold-Perry, Alvarez-Mendes set for BKFC 41. When Bruce told me this story, he had the same look on his face that he had after he bro-hugged Tom Brady. Michael Buffer did as he was told. Or guys like Michael Chiesa or Jack Hermansson wanting to get close to me, for me to be in their space, that's the highest of compliments, because they could easily just pop me and say, "Get out of my space." They wanted to meet him. Something went wrong. Search Type add_circle_outline. Locked in. You've heard it for years from UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer before big fights: "IT'S TIME!" But do you know the story behind it? I got to work with all these beautiful ladies." To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Bruce's mother -- Michael's stepmother -- he calls Little Momma. Everyone loved it and we loved it! I was like the Wolf of L.A.") He sold Herbalife products, printer toner. "Jump Around," by House of Pain, let's say. -47 6 more replies [deleted] 1 yr. ago Yeah, I sneezed and dislocated my shoulder. So no Zohan for Michael and Christine, no "Rocky" or "Creed" sequels. It'd be a tragic story, except that Michael Buffer had what he describes as a perfectly magical postwar, middle-class suburban American upbringing. Between rounds, he'd duck his head and play some poker on his phone. Lignin was extracted and measured by the method of Bruce and West . Normally, Michael stands ramrod straight, and as soon as Neil Diamond sings his last, Michael returns to his preferred mode of being the calm at the center of the storm. Or maybe not invade the personal space of fighters when announcing them. One time he was watching with his sons, and the nitwit ring announcer muffed all the drama on a split decision by announcing the winner's two cards first, followed by the lone dissent. That's why Bruce was so sure there were no other Buffers out there. I think they lasted one or two shows. The veteran 'Voice of the Octagon' has revealed his plans to remain with the UFC "for at least another 10 years". I plan on being there for 10 or more years from now. Even now, this is not a joke. The primary duties of a ring announcer are to introduce the participants involved in the scheduled matches to the viewing audience, be it strictly an arena audience (as in a professional wrestling house show), or a live televised event. Boxing is big in Sheffield, and the cups of beer are even bigger. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., March 4, 2023, with one of the biggest fights in its history as No. Devin Gordon is a freelance writer based in Boston. Joe Buffer died in 2008, but he remains an outsized, hard-to-know-the-truth kind of figure in Bruce's life. 6. UFC 267 results: Live stream updates, highlights, fight videos | Blachowicz vs Teixeira, UFC 285 Jones vs. Gane Main Event T-Shirt, UFC 285 Shevchenko vs. Grasso Co-Main Event T-Shirt, Drake Bets $500K On Jones Finish At UFC 285, Video! Do you ever think about that? And that's the way I have to work. Committee: House Financial Services: Related Items: Data will display when it becomes available. Michael did. I always emphasize the words - I emphasize to create that excitement. ", Then they put the ring announcer's name at the bottom of the screen and it said MICHAEL BUFFER. Blue Corner. remove_circle_outline . Let me get into that Octagon and boom, let me go run. But outside of that, I never rehearse. You were 008 all along! Buffer recently posted a video "announcement" on his Cameo page featuring a message to "Kaylee" with a special "it's time to move on" message from what seems to be a boyfriend whowants to move on and needs Kaylee to get with the program. Michael remembers his exact thought: Well, this is interesting. If so, why do you think that is? Maybe they were distant cousins? He just kinda said it. Trump really cottoned to the Bond stuff. How to watch or stream UFC 285: Gane vs. Jones. (Eh.) He and his brother, these grandiose men with storybook lives, are sheltering at home like the rest of us, an hour apart by car, pried apart all over again.