Who has the toughest job within the UFC?
You might argue that there are simply shy of 600 appropriate solutions to that query, with the identify of any fighter who steps foot within the Octagon a legitimate response. Jon Anik, Megan Olivi and Brendan Fitzgerald wouldn’t dare to dispute that notion, however the reality is that each one three of them – as a part of the UFC’s wider broadcast workforce – are topic to an identical stage of scrutiny and strain to their colleagues on the opposite aspect of the Octagon fence.
Play-by-play commentators Anik and Fitzgerald present important layers to the soundtrack of the in-ring motion on their respective nights on the job, their contributions for the viewers at dwelling filling the house between the noise of the group and the sound of shins colliding. Olivi, in the meantime, is a reporter and host whose face is as acquainted on UFC broadcasts as Anik and Fitzgerald’s voices are. She is the go-to go-between within the connection of followers and fighters, tasked with asking UFC’s roster members questions whether or not they’re radiating within the glow of triumph or dwelling within the mire of defeat. She can also be married to UFC flyweight contender Joseph Benavidez, so is aware of what goes by a fighter’s thoughts on battle week in addition to anybody.
All 4 spend a major quantity of their time in entrance of cameras with microphones in hand, enlightening followers on what’s unfolding within the cage. They additionally take nice satisfaction in exploring who it truly is that’s on the tip – both finish – of a hurtling first or elbow for the leisure of 1000’s in arenas and on couches.
Here, nevertheless, Anik, Olivi and Fitzgerald permit The Independent to shed some mild on who they are surely, and on what they do to deliver UFC broadcasts to life each weekend.
Brendan Fitzgerald at ringside in Jacksonville, Florida
(Zuffa LLC by way of Getty Images)
What’s your preparation like forward of a UFC card?
Anik: It’s the satan I do know, nevertheless it’s an enormous enterprise each time we do considered one of these. With respect to all of my different co-workers, the man who’s the UFC play-by-play simply has so many hours to place in to prepare for one occasion – I wouldn’t even know the place to start by way of what number of. For me, it all the time begins with fighter playing cards. I switch our UFC bios to these playing cards and I watch movie as I’m doing that. Just to present you an instance: Kyle Nelson was imagined to battle at UFC Vegas 4… Then he’s not preventing anymore. I’d already prepped Kyle Nelson, I’d already put a full hour into that and now I’ve a brand new fighter. If one way or the other a present obtained delayed attributable to an influence outage, I’d be capable to make good use of the extra 4 or 5 hours I’d get!
Olivi: I’m consistently rewatching fights. Even although I’ve seen perhaps anyone’s total UFC profession, typically it’s onerous to recollect these particulars. I’ve a doc on all our completely different fighters, and I’ll proceed to replace it all through the years. Also, till just about the time our broadcast begins and even typically throughout, I’ll be checking fighters’ social media. Sometimes they’ll publish from their locker room and that may actually offer you perception into their mindset or issues they’re drilling and then you definately see that play out within the battle. We additionally meet with many of the fighters on Thursdays, and plenty of instances they’ll volunteer info that perhaps they wouldn’t put out publicly, so we get some nice tidbits there. I feel for me it’s plenty of old-school preparation teamed up with twenty first century know-how.
What goes by your head whenever you’re calling or watching a battle?
Olivi: I’m all the time so thrilled for our winners and so heartbroken for our losers. It’s similar to… I do know what it takes to get there, I understand how a lot sacrifice is made, I understand how a lot it issues. Sometimes folks take a look at me as a result of I’m a girl and assume I’ve these emotional reactions. Like, there’s a clip of all of us reacting to Kevin Lee’s large knockout towards Gregor Gillespie, and I even have the smallest response out of everyone, I simply cowl my mouth, and all of the dudes round me are cursing and stuff. And folks stated: ‘She’s not lower out for this.’
But for me, all fighters are human beings who must go dwelling to their households. Yes, they signal as much as battle one other particular person in a cage, nevertheless it doesn’t imply that I must have this enjoyment of watching somebody get brutally knocked out on the canvas, ft away from me. I get flak for that typically. As for my husband, I don’t historically watch him battle, I don’t prefer it. I don’t even watch the replays. I simply go backstage and pray.
Megan Olivi interviewing UFC fighter Nate Diaz
(Getty Images)
What’s your most vivid reminiscence of an occasion or battle?
Fitzgerald: There’s a transparent first place for me: the ending of Yair Rodriguez vs Jeremy Stephens in Mexico, when that major occasion was known as a no contest simply seconds into the battle! When it first occurred, I bear in mind pondering: ‘Okay, there’s no approach it ends on a watch poke.’ I didn’t even assume forward that followers can be throwing beer, however as soon as the primary one obtained thrown, I used to be like: ‘Oh yeah… Of course it’s gonna get loopy in right here.’ I needed to form of discuss by it, and a beer hit our stage supervisor to our left and it splashed throughout our desk. So he goes down and places his chair up like a gatling gun, and I assumed: ‘That’s a good thought!’
What if anyone throws a cellphone? What if anyone’s obtained a knife? You by no means know, and there’s no method to out-tough an indignant crowd that’s throwing stuff – until you’re Mike Bisping subsequent to me! I assumed if I took a seat below the desk, I might see the sector’s monitor and be lined on three sides. That was one of the best ways I considered to remain calm and discuss by the second. I didn’t even realise it’d get a response on-line prefer it did. I didn’t assume I’d get made enjoyable of! Bisping dipped down, I noticed his cellphone, and I assumed: ‘Bisping’s obtained the Instagram story going,’ and that’s the way it obtained out. It was humorous, although – I’m all the time a laugh-at-myself form of man.
Is there a name you’re most happy with?
Anik: I feel we’re making an attempt to not be the story, and keep in our personal lane, however one factor I’ll say about fight-ending calls is that I need them to be natural and unique to the second. I don’t simply wish to hit a button and say: ‘It’s throughout!’ I need it to be a name that ages gracefully with that historic second. So for me, it may be so simple as ‘Marlon Moraes by knockout!’ ‘Edson Barboza does it again!’ It doesn’t need to be lots, however definitely the one which most individuals strategy me about is: ‘One of the greatest knockouts you’ll ever see, Askren stiff as a board, Gamebred!’ [following Jorge Masvidal’s record-setting fastest UFC KO ever against Ben Askren]. Humbly I can say I used to be glad to have the ability to punctuate that second with a ‘Game, period, Bred, period’, as a result of it type of gave the second a little bit increase. As lengthy because the athletes are proud of it, that’s actually all that I’m involved with.
Fitzgerald: I all the time level to when the ‘Korean Zombie’ [Chan Sung Jung] knocked out Renato Moicano; I like these ones when you possibly can sense the tip coming and your voice form of rises with the group. After the preliminary name we didn’t discuss for like 45 seconds, ‘cause the crowd were chanting Zombie and the pictures did so much to tell the story. Then Zhang Weili in China: That was a watershed moment, I was almost freaking out like a fan and my voice was cracking… I’m not essentially happy with that facet of it, however I feel some followers like that we have now the identical ardour as them. ‘Flyweight division, say hello to your worst nightmare’ – that’ll stay on in each Valentina Shevchenko characteristic ceaselessly. When Anthony Pettis KOed Stephen Thompson: ‘Wonderboy’s out!’ I’ve seen some feedback from followers saying: ‘When he said that, that’s precisely what I used to be saying on the identical time.’
What do it’s a must to take into account when interacting with fighters?
Olivi: I feel sensitivity is one of the best phrase for my strategy, as a result of – although there’s almost 600 fighters on our roster – we’re form of like this massive travelling circus, an enormous household. My husband is my biggest motivation to ensure I’m dealing with each fighter with grace and as a lot care as I can. He is a very powerful particular person in my total life, in my total world, and I need everybody who works with him within the media to deal with him with respect and like a full human being, a full circle of an individual, not only a man who fights within the Octagon.
Some of the largest challenges for me come after I’m interviewing fighters after they lose. A loss may be essentially the most heartbreaking factor that they are going to come throughout for a very long time, so you will need to phrase issues as fastidiously and respectfully as you possibly can. I additionally all the time discuss to fighters at and after weigh-ins, as a result of typically after they eat and drink they’ve a little bit bit extra openness and readability on what they wish to share with us!
Anik: It’s onerous for one particular person to assist the complete 600-person roster, however I do attempt to lend my assist, touch upon Instagram posts from time to time… Inevitably, although, somebody goes to really feel under-supported or that they’re not getting a good shake from the commentators, and it’s troublesome. We keep in the identical host resort because the fighters usually, too. I used to be even confronted by the Josh Emmett nook not too long ago. They thought one way or the other we have been biased to Shane Burgos, and I actually don’t perceive the place they’re coming from, however that’s one thing we’ve needed to cope with time and time once more. If any fighter ever has one thing particular and concrete, I’m all the time there and desirous to proper that unsuitable – it weighs heavy on me when a fighter thinks we’ve performed one thing unsuitable. But I’m not right here to make mates, even when I do take into account plenty of the roster mates.
What would you advocate followers look out for once they’re new to MMA, or perhaps have been anticipating some time however battle to observe sure features of the game?
Anik: Certainly realizing find out how to throw a punch and realizing boxing fundamentals helps. But even with me, with regards to the jiu-jitsu recreation, when the battle hits the bottom, I’ll be frank: They need me to close the f*** up. I do know the lingo, however I’m making an attempt to remain in my lane. Also, the game occurs so quick. You need to put your cellphone in your pocket and watch as intently as you’ve ever watched something on this planet. Learning find out how to watch intently helps.
