Jon Anik shares heartbreaking news about Bruce Buffer, talks Joe Rogan potentially going into UFC Hall of Fame
UFC play-by-play commentator Jon Anik shared heartwarming thoughts about his colleagues Joe Rogan and Bruce Buffer.
During the latest episode of the MMA Junkie Radio podcast, Anik showered praise on Rogan’s contribution to the growth of UFC and the sport of MMA as a whole. While sharing his thoughts on Rogan’s place in UFC history, the 45-year-old said:
“I wonder if at this point in time, Joe Rogan has respectfully declined the UFC Hall of Fame invitation! It’s an eventuality that Joe Rogan is going to go into the UFC Hall of Fame. I would love for that to happen spontaneously live on a UFC broadcast. To sit here and talk about that man’s contributions to the growth of MMA would be such a long conversation. He has done so much for our sport and for so many individuals within it."
Anik further stated that he wants to see Buffer follow Rogan into the UFC Hall of Fame. He went on to reveal heart-breaking news concerning the UFC octagon announcer and said:
“Bruce Buffer has been dealing with some stuff around the holidays. I would just like to see him get in [the UFC Hall of Fame] sooner rather than later. His mother passed away recently and he broke that news on the It’s Time podcast this week.”
According to Anik, Buffer’s late mother was 95 years old at the time of her death. The commentator wished Buffer was inducted into the Hall of Fame while she was alive.
Watch the full podcast episode below (27:30):
Joe Rogan and Bruce Buffer’s UFC career at a glance
Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer and color commentator Joe Rogan’s voices have been an integral part of the UFC broadcast experience for more than two decades.
Rogan started working as a backstage and post-fight interviewer from UFC 12 in February 1997. After Zuffa acquired the company in 2001, then-UFC president Dana White offered him a full-time job as a color commentator.
Although the 'Fear Factor' host initially declined the offer, he became a part of the broadcast team in the early 2000s. Rogan has called a vast majority of the UFC pay-per-view events over the last two decades and witnessed some of the most iconic moments from cageside.
Check out Joe Rogan's greatest moments below:
Meanwhile, Bruce Buffer started his UFC stint on UFC 8 and eventually became the octagon announcer. His catchphrase, ‘It’s time!’ has won over the fans in the arena and those watching the events on their television screens.