'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABlAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABwgQAAICAQIGAwAAAAAAAAAAAAIDAQQABREGEhMUISMyQWEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMEEQABBAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAIRUQNBITFx/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDFA2tNi5wA0NKos0+omA7Z6BZNhjD93X+jGJ+GRexVW57WJiFKMyIF+Z5Bmd4Hf8xjAa0MPE9XZlX53nIAHQYNAaA14v/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Mike Goldberg made his UFC debut as a commentator on this day 25 years ago.
On December 21, 1997, the UFC made a trip to Yokohama Arena for their 18th event. Goldberg, the new kid on the block, replaced commentator Bruce Beck. The Miami University graduate ended up working with the UFC for over fifteen years.
Goldberg made his debut at UFC Japan: Ultimate Japan. The event featured Randy Couture becoming the UFC heavyweight champion against Maurice Smith. Several other MMA legends also featured in the one-night tournament, including Kazushi Sakuraba, Vitor Belfort, Frank Shamrock, and Tank Abbott.
Trending
Joe Rogan and Goldberg are among the greatest commentating duos of all time. They were together for over 200 UFC events before Goldberg’s last appearance at UFC 207 in 2016.
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
The Ohio native was regularly heard screaming his catchphrase, "It is all over," whenever a fight ended with a spectacular finish. Calling over 2000 fights, Goldberg was a significant contributor to the early success of the UFC.
Take a look at Mike Goldberg's 25th anniversary being acknowledged on Twitter by MMA History Today below:
MMA fans praise Mike Goldberg on his 25th anniversary
Some of the new UFC fans that started watching after the UFC-ESPN deal aren’t aware of Mike Goldberg’s prowess in the commentary booth.
Despite his flaws, Goldberg’s dedication to helping MMA grow will never be forgotten. A Twitter account called MMA History Today posted about the UFC commentator’s 25th anniversary, with several fans acknowledging the commentary pioneer.
“Goldie deserves more respect. He goofed up a lot and his limitations show when compared to Anik, but the guy was one of the voices of our sport for 20 years, and fit the counterculture vibe the UFC had in the early Zuffa era.”
“Anik is great, but I miss Goldberg. He was a character in a way that Anik just isn’t.”
“Man this guy was good”
“I miss Goldy :/”
After parting ways with the UFC in 2016, Goldberg joined the Bellator commentating team, where he remained for nearly four years. He has also provided his services to the NHL, NFL, and NBA.
Currently, the 58-year-old makes scattershot appearances in combat sports events, including boxing and bare-knuckle fighting events.
