Mike Goldberg

Mike Goldberg (born November 24, 1964) is an American play-by-play commentator, mainly known for his work with the Ultimate Fighting Championship from 1997 until his departure in 2017.[2] He currently works for Bellator MMA, and has been working with the promotion since June 2017.[3]

Mike Goldberg
Goldberg in 2008
Born (1964-11-24) November 24, 1964
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.[1]
OccupationPlay-by-play commentator

Broadcasting career

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio,[1] Goldberg graduated from Miami University.[3]

Goldberg also served as studio host for college football telecasts on FSN, as well as ACC Sunday Night Hoops, he also appeared as a guest host on The Best Damn Sports Show Period, and has been heard on Arizona Cardinals pre-season telecasts.

He is the former TV play-by-play announcer for the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild and ESPN2 Hockey, broadcasting over 900 NHL Games.[3]

On December 21, 1997 Mike Goldberg made his UFC debut as commentator for UFC Japan: Ultimate Japan (also known as UFC Ultimate Japan or UFC 15.5) The event took place in Yokohama, Japan, and was available on pay-per-view in the United States.

From 2000-2002, Goldberg was a sideline reporter for the NFL on FOX.

In 2005, Goldberg was offered a contract to work for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), to be the head announcer on WWE's flagship show WWE Raw.[4] He was also reportedly offered an extra six-figure amount to no-show at a UFC event prior to starting work for WWE.[5] Ultimately, Goldberg refused the WWE contract and signed a new deal with the UFC.

During his tenure with SportsChannel Chicago, he served as sideline reporter for the Chicago Bulls, including the Bulls' 1991, 1992 and 1993 World Championships. He has also called Big Ten, ACC and SEC college football and basketball games.

Goldberg also served as the host of Shaquille O'Neal's sports reality television show Shaq Vs.

On October 12, 2014, Goldberg made his NFL play-by-play debut. His foray into NFL broadcasting lasted just one game, as his mistake-filled debut, which included repeatedly referring to Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer as Don Zimmer, was widely panned. Afterwards, he engaged critical fans on Twitter with profane responses. This led to his swift removal from the next week's broadcast and the end of his NFL broadcasting career.[6]

On December 28, 2016, the UFC announced that Goldberg would be leaving the promotion following UFC 207.[7]

On June 24, 2017, Goldberg made his Bellator MMA debut at Bellator 180 in Madison Square Garden.[3]

He is known for his catchphrase "It is all over!", often said when a match ends in a knockout.

References
  1. Stupp, Dan. "UFC's military events have impact on broadcaster". Dayton Daily News.
  2. Reynolds, Robert. "UFC announcer Mike Goldberg goes from pucks to punchouts". MMADieHards.com.
  3. "Bellator signs commentators Mike Goldberg and Mauro Ranallo". Bellator MMA. June 13, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  4. GOLDBERG SPEAKS FOR FIRST TIME - MMA WEEKLY - Mixed Martial Arts & UFC News, Photos, Rankings & more Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "411mania.com: Wrestling - VIOLENT PANDA Saturday News 08.05.06". Archived from the original on 2014-05-20. Retrieved 2007-02-19.
  6. https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2231461-mike-goldberg-fired-from-nfl-on-fox-after-poor-performance-twitter-meldown.amp.html
  7. "UFC commentator Mike Goldberg leaving the promotion following UFC 207". MMAFighting. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
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