(Video courtesy of YouTube/MMAHeat)
Somebody needs to send Eric Shanks a few links to some mixed martial arts website comment sections and message boards where the topic of Gus Johnson’s MMA commentary skills are being discussed. If they did, the FOX Sports Media Group President and Co-COO might think long and hard about having captain eyeshadow do the UFC’s pre and post-fight shows like he told MMA H.E.A.T’s Karyn Bryant he’s looking into doing.
This could call for a petition.
We’re not saying that Gus is a shitty commentator. He does a decent job excitedly screaming about how football players have “getting away from the cops speed” and how college basketball players are “rising and firing buckets.” It’s just that, in spite of his claims that he’s a BJJ blue belt under Renzo Gracie, he doesn’t seem to know much about MMA, which is a problem when your job is to talk about the intricacies of the sport. Am I right, Franklin McNeil?
Hopefully Dana puts his foot down on the matter so we can sleep easy knowing that our MMA coverage won’t be sponsored by Cover Girl.
Do yourself a favor and watch the whole interview with Lorenzo Fertitta. He gives a level-headed and articulate breakdown of the deal.