Getty Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer introduces the main event during the UFC Fight Night event at Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre on August 31, 2019 in Shenzhen, China.
Longtime UFC Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer recently came under fire by two-time UFC title challenger Anthony “Rumble Johnson.
Rumble’s issue with Buffer was ignited when the Octagon announcer made a comment after hosting UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou on his “It’s Time” podcast, saying fighters become “irrelevant” after being away from the UFC.
“It would be stupid to go your own way,” Buffer said via BloodElbow.com. “The UFC is the NFL.
“No offense to other organizations, but you become irrelevant when you leave the UFC after a while. To a degree.”
Ngannou and the UFC are in the midst of a contract battle, with “The Predator” believing that he isn’t paid enough and that his contract is too restrictive. He’s also taken issue with how the promotion has treated him. Buffer also said that he hopes the UFC and their heavyweight champion reach an agreement.
Well, it appears Rumble took offense to Buffer’s comment.
Rumble Compares Buffer’s ‘Guaranteed Money’ & a Fighter’s Means of Earning a Paycheck
GettyAnthony Johnson salutes as he poses on the scale during his weigh-in for UFC 202 at MGM Grand Conference Center on August 19, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Bruce needs to stay off Crack,” Rumble wrote on Instagram. “How’s Anything irrelevant when providing food and shelter for family? Oh btw I got paid way more for moving to another organization. Bruce has his guaranteed money so he can talk. FIGHTER’S have to wait and actually entertain ppl when they get the chance to make some money.”
Johnson retired from MMA after losing his light heavyweight title bid to Daniel Cormier at UFC 210 in April 2017, but he came out of retirement, signing with Bellator in December 2020. He’s fought once for the organization, a KO win over Jose Augusto during the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grant Prix quarterfinals, however he dropped out of the tournament with an undisclosed illness and has been on the shelf since.
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Joe Rogan Wants Ngannou to Box Tyson Fury & Make ‘A Giant Chunk of Money’
UFC color commentator and popular podcaster Joe Rogan is all-in on seeing Ngannou box heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury. Ngannou has expressed on several occasions that he hopes to box sooner rather than later, and is open to working with the UFC to make that happen. And “The Gypsy King” is at the top of The Predator’s list.
“I want to see him box because I want to see him get a giant chunk of money – like, Conor McGregor-style, Floyd Mayweather chunk of money,” Rogan said on a recent episode of his podcast via The Mac Life. “Because when Conor fought Floyd Mayweather, he made $100 million. … I think that’s nice. I’d love to see that. If (Ngannou) fought Tyson Fury, how much money would they be able to make?”
“I don’t know [how much]. It’s off the pay-per-view. It’s off what they could sell. Obviously, it would have to be very marketable. Tyson Fury is very marketable. Francis Ngannou is very marketable, especially as a UFC heavyweight champion going up to fight in boxing … It would be weird to see Tyson Fury like a legit 5 inches taller than Francis Ngannou. Oh yeah, Tyson Fury is 6-(foot)-9. I think Francis is 6-(foot)-4 or 6-(foot)-5. I’m not sure.”
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