Mike Goldberg

Mike “Goldie” Goldberg has a wealth of experience in the world of sports broadcasting, and has held jobs that most sports lovers can only dream of. Starting his career as a smalltime sports commentator, Goldberg worked his way up to a position with a struggling company: the UFC. He grew with the company and is now a prominent figure in the ever-popular world of MMA.

Best known for his work as a play-by-play announcer for the UFC, Goldberg has held broadcasting jobs in various different sports, and he continues to expand his knowledge and experience as a sportscaster to this date.

Goldberg gained broadcasting experience as the host of the student-run television show “Sports Focus” at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, where he graduated with a degree in Mass Communications in 1986. After graduation, Goldberg got a job calling CFL games, and his goal was to become an NFL play-by-play announcer.

Goldberg, a collegiate hockey player, went on to announce the sport for the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, Phoenix Coyotes, Vancouver Canucks, ESPN2 Hockey, and ESPN.  He was even a sideline reporter for the Chicago Bulls dynasty in his early broadcasting career.

Goldberg and co-announcer Rogan

In 1997, Goldberg got the opportunity to announce for the UFC, and began his new career at “UFC: Ultimate Japan” (UFC 15.5) on Dec. 21. Goldberg does not have an extensive background in the practice of martial arts like his counterpart Joe Rogan. Therefore, he had to quickly learn the terminology and basics of the sport in its developing stages and he still works to stay ahead in the fast-paced and arguably the worlds fastest-growing sport today.

“The most challenging part of my job is staying on top of all the news, doing my homework and keeping up with the growing sport of MMA. I feel the fans deserve this,” Goldberg said in an interview with Charles Ruocco of MMACanada.net

Having held stints in nearly every corner of the sports broadcasting world, Mike Goldberg makes up for his lack of MMA experience with his passion for the sport and knowledge of the world of sports broadcasting.

In 2005, as a response to the growing popularity of the UFC, the WWE made an attempt to slash the competition by offering Goldberg a significant contract along with a six-figure bonus to no-show at an upcoming UFC event. The UFC, realizing the value of its senior commentator, countered the offer and Goldberg ultimately decided to stay with the company.

Goldberg has been featured as the host of “UFC Unleashed,” co-host of “Shaq Vs.,” and guest host on “The Best Damn Sports Show Period.” He has covered NCAA basketball and baseball, college football and basketball for FSN nationally, and even televised NFL pre-season games for the Arizona Cardinals. Goldberg is also the commentator for the Red Bull Air Race World Series, and the announcer of the Lingerie Bowl.

Having announced over 100 UFC events and contributed greatly to the development of the sport, Goldberg is truly a notable and distinguished figure in the MMA world today. Goldberg will announce alongside Rogan this Saturday at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Goldberg Before The UFC – 1989

He may be known best for hosting the show that everyone loves to cringe at, Fear Factor. Or maybe its his role as the pseudo-conspiracy-theorist and electrician-handyman Joe Girrelli on the 1990’s sitcom NewsRadio? It couldn’t be his questionable follow-up performance as one of two replacements for the hilarious Adam Carolla and Jimmy Kimmel on the final season of The Man Show… He’s an actor, a game show host and a comedian.

But Joe Rogan is also a color commentator for Ultimate Fighting Championship, which is, of course, where we know him from, today.

Throughout his career, Rogan has always had a little fight in him. As a stand-up comedian, he feuded with multiple popular comedians of the 2000’s, including Carlos Mencia and Dane Cook. These criticisms cost him some shows and participationin the Comedy Store agency in Los Angeles, Cal. However, it doesn’t stop there.

It’s an important issue in this growing sport… How can an actor and a game show host and a comedian turn around 180-degrees and end up involved with mixed martial arts? Some people ask for credibility. Rogan has it.

His list of potential credits begins as a teenager, where he began developing skills in Tae Kwon Do. In the state of Massachusetts, he was named the Full Tae Kwon Do Champion four consecutive times.

By age 19, Rogan won the United States Open Tae Kwon Do Championship. He also went on to defeat middle and heavyweight title holders as the lightweight champion, which resulted in him being awarded the Grand Championship.

He is currently working towards a black belt in BJJ, and is training with Eddie Bravo. Convinced yet?

Rogan believes himself to be the total package as far as self-defense goes – both physically and verbally. From an interview done in 2008 with San Francisco Stand Up, Rogan explains his thoughts on comedy and fighting.

“Well I think it all comes from the same place. The defense mechanism is also wanting to get people to like you. You know, that insecurity- that same insecurity is what leads people to martial arts, because you don’t want to be at the mercy of an attacker. You don’t want to worry about somebody physically dominating you. So I think it’s very similar in the motivation to get involved in it in the first place. What real martial arts is about, is not really about fighting- it’s more about developing your human potential. Martial arts really applies to comedy in that way. In comedy, the real deep stuff, when someone is really searching their own mind, their own soul, their own mortality, their own view of the world, they’re not just saying something to try to get some heehees and hahas out of a group of strangers. They’re digging deep and creating some art out of their own introspective thought.”

Rogan began his commentary career in 2002 with Pay Per View venues and Spike TV coverage of the UFC, and still works in the field today, even hosting the syndicated show “UFC Wired.” It most notably shows that well-roundedness and outspokenness can get you places in the entertainment industry.