UFC even in this pandemic world has not stopped putting in mega-events for their fans around the world.
It’s been a strange year, to say the least, but mixed martial arts has continued to flourish despite the restrictions the global pandemic has thrown up. The premier promoter of the sport, the UFC, has been seriously impacted like others and events have been taking place behind closed doors since March 2020.
A good announcer can turn mere sport into a moment worthy of a time capsule. They clarify, contextualize, and help the viewer understand exactly what’s happening on the field of play. Sometimes that comes in the form of detailed analysis. Other times, they do nothing more than yell at the monitor in joy and wonder. Sometimes that’s all you can do.
UFC is filled with all types of commentators. Some are true MMA enthusiasts like Joe Rogan and some are just true fighting experts like DC and Dominick Cruz. But it is the true combinations of all these guys that make UFC what it is today.
Here’s a list of some of the best UFC commentators of 2020:
A.) Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier is arguably one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. Before joining the UFC he was a US Olympic wrestler, he then became the Strikeforce heavyweight champion. After joining the UFC, he became a two-division champion when he captured the UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight belts.
The @beneildariush knockout had @dc_mma falling into @joerogan's lap 😲 #UFC248 pic.twitter.com/QFd2g5Derz
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 8, 2020
Outside of fighting, DC has become a poster boy for the UFC; he’s a family man, a special athlete, very well-spoken, incredibly kind while also being very confident and funny in front of a camera. It’s no wonder then, that DC has joined the commentary desk! He brings the same loud, entertaining energy to his performance on the mic as he does with everything else in his life. He is equal parts entertaining and insightful and has become incredibly popular with the MMA audience.
When Rose Manajunas defeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk to become the women’s strawweight champion, DC couldn’t help himself but stand up from the commentary desk and start chanting “Thug Rose! Thur Rose! Thug Rose!”. This has since gone down as an iconic moment in MMA history.
B.) Michael Bisping
Michael is a former UFC middleweight champion, who got the big fights in his career in large part thanks to his eloquence and quick-wit whenever he was given a microphone. Throughout his career, he was always one step away from a title shot before losing, and it looked like he would retire before touching UFC gold.
Seeing as how The Count was probably better known for his trash talk than his fighting ability, it’s no surprise that he got a job on the commentary desk! Michael has shown himself to be pure entertainment on many MMA related shows like Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series & UFC Now.
As always, Bisping comes across as completely genuine in his commentating duties. Unlike a lot of commentators who play it safe on the mic, you never know what Bisping is going to say next or who he’s going to take a friendly dig at. This gives the fans of the sport a fresh, entertaining take to look forward to.
He’s also not afraid to let the fans know what’s on his mind. When a premature stop to the Jeremy Stephens vs Yair Rodriguez fight in Mexico caused the live audience to start throwing objects at the Octagon, Bisping stood up from his desk, took off his mic, and started yelling at the audience to stop throwing stuff towards him.
C.) Jon Anik
Jon Anik is a former ESPN anchor and he hosts the MMA Live show on ESPN2. in 2011, Dana White decided to bring him on to the UFC team.
Following Mike Goldberg’s departure from the UFC, Anik took over as the main commentator of UFC PPV events.
Anik is a reliable real-time analyst, which is probably why the UFC has put so much faith in him over the last few years. He packs a lot of energy into his performances without being an over the top character. Jon Anik is the best non-bias Commentator who put his genuine opinion in front of the audience.
One of the best moments of Jon Aik would be the return of Conor Mcgregor. Anik was visibly excited by the head kick that McGregor landed flush on Cerrone’s temple that led to the fight-ending ground-and-pound sequence. At the end of the fight, the veteran commentator shouted out “Conor McGregor! Too easy. Wow. Less than a minute in, Conor McGregor announces his return!” as the crowd went into a craze.
D.) Dominick Cruz
Dominick Cruz is bantamweight royalty, not just in the UFC, but to the whole of MMA worldwide. In his career as an athlete, he first came over to the UFC when the company bought out WEC. He went on to become a 2-time UFC Bantamweight World Champion and he is also an exceptional MMA analyst.
His brilliance in analyzing fights, combined with his eloquence in talking, has to lead him to land regular spots on UFC Talk shows and more recently commentating on live UFC cards.
While Cruz is respected for his incredible analysis of past fights and fighter styles, commentating on real-time fights takes a different type of skillset. Unfortunately, this is one skill that Dominick isn’t all too good at.
He has a habit of trying to predict what is going to happen next, based on what he sees the fighter’s doing. If he got this right all the time, then it would be pretty cool, he’d be an MMA Psychic. However, more often than not, his guess is wrong, which leaves fans annoyed. Being a popular commentator is also about having the right personality for the fans listening at home.
Winner of the commentator Of the year
Jon Anik
Anik’s consistency and work ethic has made him the best in the game at this moment. His combination with Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier is fans favorite