A UFC stalwart will not be doing his usual work inside the cage in Abu Dhabi, for the first time on a big event in a very long time.
Bruce Buffer, the promotion’s iconic ring announcer, has apparently contracted COVID-19 and will not be making the overseas trip for UFC 267. UFC president Dana White confirmed the news at the pre-fight press conference today (via TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter):
Dana White says that Bruce Buffer was diagnosed with COVID-19 and that’s why he is not going to be doing the in-cage announcing for UFC 267.
— Aaron Br nsteter (@aaronbronsteter) October 28, 2021
According to MMA Junkie, Buffer will be replaced by veteran announcer and the former voice of the WEC, Joe Martinez.
The last time Buffer was not the ring announcer for a numbered event was waaay back at UFC 11 in 1996. Mark Coleman won an eight-man tournament that night despite not even having to compete in the finals due to his opponent bowing out. Buffer has worked an incredible 255 numbered events in a row since then.
UFC 267 goes down this weekend with two title fights on top, a light heavyweight scrap between champion Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira, along with an interim bantamweight championship matchup between former belt-holder Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen.
About the author
