Late Thursday night, Bleacher Report learned from UFC officials that Jon Anik would be stepping up and filling in for Mike Goldberg for the UFC 155 broadcast. Details were spotty at the time but it was known that it was a last minute decision.
Friday afternoon, it was confirmed to MMAJunkie.com that Goldberg would be sidelined due to illness.
Goldberg has long been a staple for UFC broadcasts along side his partner Joe Rogan. He’s the Voice of the UFC and has been a member of the promotion’s announcement team since 1997.
Goldberg’s role on UFC broadcasts has been two-fold. He’s served as the play-by-play announcer as well as mentioning the various upcoming UFC events.
Anik has been a member of the UFC’s “B-Team”, working the Fuel TV and FX cards with former-UFC fighter, Kenny Florian. Most praised the chemistry that he shared with his partner, building a rapport in a short period of time.
Besides his role with Florian, Anik also is the host of “The Ultimate Insider” on Fuel TV which airs every Tuesday evening following “UFC Tonight”.
It will be interesting to see how Anik handles commentary with Rogan as the two haven’t worked together in the past.
We wish Mike Goldberg a speedy recovery.
***Update***
According to a tweet from John Morgan, as per UFC President Dana White, Mike Goldberg is not ill but will be “taking time off” with no return date set.
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