(“Progidy.” “The 30-something Randy Couture of the 40-something crowd.” “I don’t speak-a the Portuguesa.” “Leg kick to the midsection.” All the classics are here. / Props: zombie00713 via MiddleEasy)
(“Progidy.” “The 30-something Randy Couture of the 40-something crowd.” “I don’t speak-a the Portuguesa.” “Leg kick to the midsection.” All the classics are here. / Props: zombie00713 via MiddleEasy)
After a brief absence due to illness, Mike Goldberg will be back in his regular broadcast duties alongside Joe Rogan at UFC on Fox 6.
UFC officials confirmed Goldberg’s return to MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday.
In short, come next Saturday, the little eagle will soar again. Precisions, they will be precise. Books, they will be taken out of other people’s chapters. Japanese and Portuguese will combine into one beautiful, indistinguishable language. So prepare yourselves, Potato Nation, for a great deluge of cliched phrases and verbal diarrhea is coming.
(“Hey Joe, now that I’ve put the kibosh on those pesky Adderall rumors…wanna do some blow?”)
After a brief absence due to illness, Mike Goldberg will be back in his regular broadcast duties alongside Joe Rogan at UFC on Fox 6.
UFC officials confirmed Goldberg’s return to MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday.
In short, come next Saturday, the little eagle will soar again. Precisions, they will be precise. Books, they will be taken out of other people’s chapters. Japanese and Portuguese will combine into one beautiful, indistinguishable language. So prepare yourselves, Potato Nation, for a great deluge of cliched phrases and verbal diarrhea is coming.
Personally, I quite enjoyed the Anik/Rogan pairing at UFC 155, but will welcome Goldberg’s intensity back with open arms. I don’t know, there’s just something about the way the dude screams “IT IS ALL OVER!” that takes the average knockout/submission and kicks it up a notch, like a shot of Sriracha in your BBQ sauce, or whiskey in your Cheerios. Am I alone on this one?
(As Goldie himself might say, the precision of those rumors was not very precise.)
When long-time UFC play-by-play announcer Mike Goldbergmissed UFC 155 for undisclosed reasons, it didn’t take long for the rumor mill to churn out reports of him being addicted to Adderall and taking a leave of absence to attend drug rehab.* MMA Fighting contacted Goldberg directly on Friday, asking for comment on his health, and the commentator denied the pill addiction rumor and said he hopes to return to work by the next UFC on Fox event later this month.
“Those rumors out there are not true,” Goldberg said via text to MMA Fighting. “I’m dealing with a complicated health issue but feeling better and hoping to be back to 100 percent by Jan. 26.”
Goldberg did not provide more details about his health issues but reporter Ariel Helwani also wrote that “according to multiple sources close to Goldberg, who all asked to remain anonymous, the broadcaster suffered from a severe upper respiratory infection in October…
(As Goldie himself might say, the precision of those rumors was not very precise.)
When long-time UFC play-by-play announcer Mike Goldbergmissed UFC 155 for undisclosed reasons, it didn’t take long for the rumor mill to churn out reports of him being addicted to Adderall and taking a leave of absence to attend drug rehab.* MMA Fighting contacted Goldberg directly on Friday, asking for comment on his health, and the commentator denied the pill addiction rumor and said he hopes to return to work by the next UFC on Fox event later this month.
“Those rumors out there are not true,” Goldberg said via text to MMA Fighting. ”I’m dealing with a complicated health issue but feeling better and hoping to be back to 100 percent by Jan. 26.”
Goldberg did not provide more details about his health issues but reporter Ariel Helwani also wrote that “according to multiple sources close to Goldberg, who all asked to remain anonymous, the broadcaster suffered from a severe upper respiratory infection in October.”
“The already-asthmatic Goldberg was then treated with large doses of medication to open the airway and treat the infection. Goldberg’s doctor later confirmed that the medication taken to treat the infection in combination with his normal asthma medication caused severe side effects that affected his ability to work, which according to the same sources, was the reason he missed UFC 155,” he continued.
* In light of Goldberg’s latest statement, we’ve taken down our previous post about the rehab rumor. Whatever’s he’s dealing with, we wish Mike a full and speedy recovery.
In what is perhaps the most ironic twist of fates in UFC history, it has been rumored that UFC commentator Mike Goldberg — yes, that would be Mike Goldberg, not Joe Rogan, the weed-loving, LSD enthusiast with a DMT molecule tattooed on his arm who can often be seen shouting at you in a coke rage alongside Goldberg — has apparently taken a leave of absence from the UFC to enter rehab for a pill addiction. So sayeth TerezOwens:
The UFC refused to comment, but our sources are telling us the reason behind Goldberg’s no show is he’s stuck in Rehab for a pill addiction. Our source tells us Goldberg has an addiction to adderall.
While his removal from UFC 155 was originally reported as the result of a last-minute illness, Dana White’s statement that he “didn’t know when [Goldberg] would be back” left many fans questioning just what was up with the longtime commentator. Although it has not been confirmed by any direct source as of this writing, this explanation would make sense given the available information.
We here at CagePotato would like to wish Goldberg the best of luck if this is truly the case, and will honor him by not placing a video lowlight of his most incompetent moments after the jump.
(Come to think of it, Mike did appear a bit on edge during the UFC 154 broadcast. Not to mention the 40 lbs of muscle he’s packed on in recent weeks.)
In what is perhaps the most ironic twist of fates in UFC history, it has been rumored that UFC commentator Mike Goldberg — yes, that would be Mike Goldberg, not Joe Rogan, the weed-loving, LSD enthusiast with a DMT molecule tattooed on his arm who can often be seen shouting at you in a coke rage alongside Goldberg — has apparently taken a leave of absence from the UFC to enter rehab for a pill addiction. So sayeth TerezOwens:
The UFC refused to comment, but our sources are telling us the reason behind Goldberg’s no show is he’s stuck in Rehab for a pill addiction. Our source tells us Goldberg has an addiction to adderall.
While his removal from UFC 155 was originally reported as the result of a last-minute illness, Dana White’s statement that he “didn’t know when [Goldberg] would be back” left many fans questioning just what was up with the longtime commentator. Although it has not been confirmed by any direct source as of this writing, this explanation would make sense given the available information.
We here at CagePotato would like to wish Goldberg the best of luck if this is truly the case, and will honor him by not placing a video lowlight of his most incompetent moments after the jump.
Curse this black heart of mine, which lies heavier in my chest than a wet Nerf football.
With 2012 mercifully coming to an end, you had to imagine that at least one more fighter would be taken off of the year’s final card due to the great injury curse. Sure enough, at the last possible second a key member of UFC 155 has been removed from the card, causing the organization to scramble to find an adequate replacement. Okay, he’s not a fighter – and he’s not even a casualty of the injury curse – but damn it, this year has been brutal for last-second withdrawals.
Veteran announcer Mike Goldberg will not be calling the fights tonight at UFC 155. Originally, his absence from tonight’s event was attributed to an illness, but it turns out that this isn’t quite the case. Via MMAJunkie:
UFC President Dana White on Friday confirmed the change to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) but could not offer specifics into the situation or when Goldberg is expected to return to his post.
“He’s taking time off and is not working this weekend,” White said. “I don’t know when he will be back.
With 2012 mercifully coming to an end, you had to imagine that at least one more fighter would be taken off of the year’s final card due to the great injury curse. Sure enough, at the last possible second a key member of UFC 155 has been removed from the card, causing the organization to scramble to find an adequate replacement. Okay, he’s not a fighter – and he’s not even a casualty of the injury curse – but damn it, this year has been brutal for last-second withdrawals.
Veteran announcer Mike Goldberg will not be calling the fights tonight at UFC 155. Originally, his absence from tonight’s event was attributed to an illness, but it turns out that this isn’t quite the case. Via MMAJunkie:
UFC President Dana White on Friday confirmed the change to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) but could not offer specifics into the situation or when Goldberg is expected to return to his post.
“He’s taking time off and is not working this weekend,” White said. “I don’t know when he will be back.
White declined to offer any specifics on the reason for Goldberg’s leave.
Damn, that doesn’t exactly sound promising. Hopefully he’s not going through anything too serious, but from the looks of things, he won’t be back any time soon. While it’s possible that his sabbatical is a sign that he’s on his way out of the UFC, we’ll hold off on the tribute until more information becomes available.
Stepping in on short notice to join Joe Rogan will be B-Team announcer Jon Anik. Anik, who usually calls the fights on FX and FUEL TV alongside Kenny Florian, will be making his UFC PPV debut. Assuming he doesn’t completely drop the ball tonight, the position is his for the foreseeable future.
In our efforts to give out high fives and bro grabs over how much fun Saturday night’s fights were, we missed the opportunity to give constructive criticism to some of the evening’s lowest moments. We’ll more than likely still miss out on the constructive criticism here, but sometimes there’s just no way to be helpful about something’s ugliness (no matter how hard you try to be). But before we get caught up in the negativity…
The Good:
Vera and Varner Impressive in Defeat. Before Saturday night, both men were expected to be little more than highlight reel fodder for their opponents. After they came up just short in two of the most competitive, entertaining bouts to be broadcast on Fox, it’d be too easy to make comparisons to Rocky. So instead of making one, I’ll just imply it – problem solved. A loss is never easy for either fighter to swallow, but it could have been much uglier.
Mike Swick’s Feel-Good Comeback Fight. Is it even possible not to feel good for Mike Swick? After losing his last two fights and spending over two years away from the sport, things were looking pretty grim for “Quick.” Watching DaMarques Johnson control Swick for the first round certainly didn’t brighten the mood, either. But if you know somebody who wasn’t cheering while Swick flawlessly finished Johnson, that person has no pulse. In fact, that “person” is probably a zombie. Act accordingly.
In our efforts to give out high fives and bro grabs over how much fun Saturday night’s fights were, we missed the opportunity to give constructive criticism to some of the evening’s lowest moments. We’ll more than likely still miss out on the constructive criticism here, but sometimes there’s just no way to be helpful about something’s ugliness (no matter how hard you try to be). But before we get caught up in the negativity…
The Good:
Vera and Varner Impressive in Defeat. Before Saturday night, both men were expected to be little more than highlight reel fodder for their opponents. After they came up just short in two of the most competitive, entertaining bouts to be broadcast on Fox, it’d be too easy to make comparisons to Rocky. So instead of making one, I’ll just imply it – problem solved. A loss is never easy for either fighter to swallow, but it could have been much uglier.
Mike Swick’s Feel-Good Comeback Fight. Is it even possible not to feel good for Mike Swick? After losing his last two fights and spending over two years away from the sport, things were looking pretty grim for “Quick.” Watching DaMarques Johnson control Swick for the first round certainly didn’t brighten the mood, either. But if you know somebody who wasn’t cheering while Swick flawlessly finished Johnson, that person has no pulse. In fact, that “person” is probably a zombie. Act accordingly.
Not giving title shots to guys who duck fights. Do you remember why Shogun vs. Vera was booked in the first place? If you said no, it’s because Rua wouldn’t fight Glover Teixeira. Dana White certainly didn’t forget about this – in fact, he brought it up when he was asked why Machida was given a title shot over Shogun after the event. If fans are calling for Anderson Silva to vacate the title because his management doesn’t want him fighting Chris Weidman, then there’s absolutely no reason to give a guy a title shot who refused to fight an up-and-coming prospect, plain and simple.
All things considered, these ratings were pretty good. Like everything else on tv Saturday night, UFC on Fox 4 still got squashed by the Olympics. Unlike everything else, ratings improved throughout the course of the evening. The actual numbers don’t tell the entire story: There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the ratings for future cards on Fox.
The Doctor’s Stoppage of Wagner Prado vs. Phil Davis. There’s nothing more frustrating to me than watching a doctor simply ask a fighter if he wants to continue before clearing him to fight. You’re there because you can tell when it isn’t safe for a fighter to keep fighting, even though he wants to continue. Letting a fighter continue who isn’t physically capable of safely doing so is not only blindly ignoring your own expertise, but also a completely reckless way to get somebody killed.
It wasn’t the popular decision – and certainly not the preferable one – but it was the right one. After Davis’ eye poke, Prado told the doctor that he was seeing double, and the fight was immediately stopped. Naturally, Prado protested the stoppage; no professional fighter wants to look soft, even if he can’t see. But there’s no sense putting an asterisk next to a victory for Phil Davis (not to mention the danger this would put Prado in). Live to fight again, guys.
The Bad:
Phil “The Shockmaster” Davis. He may share the “Mr. Wonderful” alias with professional wrestling icon Paul Orndorff, but after his last two fights, he might as well borrow one of Fred Ottman’s failed gimmicks due to how badly he’s been falling on his face. It’s bad enough to go from the main event of UFC on Fox 2 to the Fuel TV prelims, but when you give the fans the absolute worst ending of the night, you’ll need to break out something extra special to stay relevant in the upcoming rematch. Remember when we were saying this guy should fight Jon Jones? Laissez les bons temps rouler.
Ryan “What’s Wrestling?” Bader. You’re a 2x D1 All-American wrestler. You’re fighting an elusive, karate-based former champion. What’s your strategy? Stand and Wang until you’re confusing the arena’s lights for Heaven, of course. At least he had the decency not to cry about it, so…props?
Joe Rogan’s interpretation of “Poor Cardio” during Varner vs. Lauzon. About thirty seconds into the Fight of the Night earning scrap between Jamie Varner and Joe Lauzon, Joe Rogan began saying that Varner was completely spent and done for. Call me “logical,” but considering that Varner kept fighting (emphasis on fighting – this wasn’t three rounds of lay and pray) into the third round, despite breaking his hand in the second, I’d say Varner’s conditioning looked pretty damn good. It’s one thing to say a guy looks tired, it’s another thing to repeatedly swear that he’s finished as he’s coming forward being the aggressor. Then again, that was nothing compared to…
The Ugly:
Phil Davis loves choking out fools with…kimuras? An announcer at an amateur event would get mocked relentlessly for making such a remarkably stupid mistake. Mike Goldberg has zero excuse…not even “I’m Mike Goldberg.”
Whoever this Nam Famn guy is that we kept hearing about. At first, I assumed that there was an innocent slip of the tongue, and wrote it off as a mispronunciation that I won’t pretend I’ve never made. But then I kept hearing about this Nam Fanm guy, and realized that he couldn’t be Nam Phan. For one, Nam Fanm used his boxing to defeat former WEC champion Mike Brown, and Nam Phan lost to Brown. Also, this Nam Famn guy was never in the fight against Cole Miller, and was clearly blown out for three rounds judging by the commentary throughout the fight. Yet, Nam Phan won that fight – fairly convincingly, too.
Come on, Mike and Joe. You’re much better than this. If you won’t give a fighter any credit at all while he’s in the cage, can you at least pronounce his name correctly?
