The Voice of the Octagon UFC’s Bruce Buffer

Speaker 1 The rules of business are very simple.

Speaker 1 So when you have a King Kong gorilla like the UFC as your base, unless you're doing something wrong or you don't know what your brand is all about, there's no reason but to move forward and keep branding and building yourself.

Speaker 1 And now

Speaker 1 it's time for the Radcast with Ryan Alford.

Speaker 3 This is right about now with Ryan Alford, a Radcast Network Production.

Speaker 3 We are the number one business show on the planet with over 1 million downloads a month.

Speaker 3 Taking the BS out of business for over six years in over 400 episodes. You ready to start snapping necks and cashing checks? Well, it starts right about now.

Speaker 2 Right about now. What's up, guys? Welcome to one of our library re-releases with the one and only Bruce Buffer.

Speaker 2 It's time, yes, for you to look back and listen to this amazing episode we did with Bruce a couple years ago.

Speaker 2 bruce is a marketer man he is a salesperson a marketer and the voice of the ufc the octagon he was amazing i loved having him on he really surprised me i knew of his acumen overall as a human being and as a person but his acumen as a marketer was unbelievable that's why if you're watching i got this belt on we're number one because of you and we're number one because of guys like bruce coming on our show laying it down telling you what it's like telling you what the ufc is doing to grow and how to market yourself amazing episode we loved it we love you happy holidays from ryan offord and the whole team at right about now what's up bruce hi how are you everything good everything's great man appreciate you coming on no problem i know uh you're a busy man and like it there's no uh better catchphrase than uh it's time you know like

Speaker 1 i say it every day i wake up man it's time to have the best day that i can

Speaker 2 it is. It is.

Speaker 2 Man, you got your hands on so much now, which I want to get into.

Speaker 2 And I love the

Speaker 2 t-shirt.

Speaker 2 Where did it's time come from? Let's just say, I want to know where that came from. Let's start there.

Speaker 1 Well, you know, when I started in the UFC announcing and I've been managing my brother, Michael Buffer, you know, the legendary greatest announcer of all time. Let's get ready to rumble.

Speaker 1 We met late in life. And when we did, I owned two companies.
I had my first company when I was 19.

Speaker 1 I've been an entrepreneur ever since. I've owned a variety of companies, a couple failures here and there, but most all successes, you know, I'm proud to say.
And when I met him,

Speaker 1 knowing that he was the announcer he was and everything else, we eventually, I sold two companies and became his manager, managing his career and everything.

Speaker 1 I wanted to announce back then we agreed I wouldn't do boxing and I said something would come along and boom, this is a very short version.

Speaker 1 And boom, the UFC came along and I worked my way into the UFC, but I never wanted to be Frank Sinatra Jr. I never wanted to be, no respect to Frank Sinatra Jr., but I wanted to create my own style.

Speaker 1 I wanted to grow with the UFC to help market the brand, being the marketing and branding person they am first and foremost before I do anything else.

Speaker 1 And I told them, I said, I need to grow with you as the announcer, but I didn't think I needed a catchphrase. I'm not catchphrase driven.
I was more like,

Speaker 1 it's not what I say, it's how I say it. So it wasn't until about seven years later that his time came about.

Speaker 1 Everybody always was going, let's get ready, let's do this. They all wanted to be Michael.
I just didn't want to come across like that.

Speaker 1 I told myself if within three years I could build my own identity, my own style, I would continue. If not, I would quit because I just didn't want to be that way.

Speaker 1 So every day I wake up, and I was kidding before, but I'm serious. I look in the mirror and go, it's time.
It's time to have the best day that I can possibly have.

Speaker 1 So I used to open the show saying, it's time to begin the ultimate fighting championship. And then Dana White and the Fertitas brought it, bought the show.

Speaker 1 Dana and I met, he said, I don't want you doing that at the front anymore, top of the show. And I said, fine.

Speaker 1 But then I got down to the main event and I realized, hey, everybody's sitting here for five hours. They watching the show.
The main event's about to start.

Speaker 1 The fighters have been training six to eight weeks with its biggest moment in their lives. This is definitely its time.
This is its time. This is when it's going to happen.

Speaker 1 And I started incorporating it in. And gradually over time, it developed to the style that I do it now, whether I'm jumping or doing whatever.

Speaker 1 I never know physically what I'm going to do until I do it because I never rehearse. Never.
I feel the energy of the crowd and I just let it fly.

Speaker 1 But when I was in Brazil and 20,000 Portuguese-speaking people said, it's time with me,

Speaker 1 I knew right then it hit. And that's when I started building it up.
And then eventually over the last 15 plus years since then,

Speaker 1 You know, I've developed into products, you know, and many things happening worldwide. And now as time has taken on a very individual branding of itself, and

Speaker 1 I plan on reaching a billion dollars in sales with its time, whether it's sales of other, not in my pocket, you know, sales of other companies, everything, as I achieved over half billion dollars in sales with Let's Get Ready to Rumble.

Speaker 1 But I love my brother, but I'm a competitor, and I'm going to come in first.

Speaker 2 I love it. I love it.

Speaker 2 Did you see, I mean, the UFC has had this meteoric rise in the last 10 plus years, but like,

Speaker 2 did you see that coming?

Speaker 1 I knew from the very first day I I got involved, it was going to be the biggest thing in fighting sports.

Speaker 1 You know, when you're in business, you need to be able to hopefully recognize the brand, recognize the future.

Speaker 1 I always think three steps ahead in life, like chess, I'd apply that to every aspect of business and any business I've owned or been involved in. Because to me, all business is the same.

Speaker 1 It's just the product that's different. But you've got to recognize what has the chance to be the big hit.
I knew that was going to be with Let's Get Ready to Rumble.

Speaker 1 I got contacted by another company called Party Poker back when poker was not even as popular as today, who wanted me to be part of it.

Speaker 1 One of the things I regret I didn't grab that opportunity back then because I realized online poker was going to explode and I'm a big part of poker myself in my private life.

Speaker 1 But when the UFC came on, yes, it was raw. It was a spectacle.
It needed refinement. But I decided to stick with it, make the short money back then that I made, lose money going on trips.

Speaker 1 Everything I could do, realizing that if I stuck with this, because consistency is a key in business, then I knew it would all pay off.

Speaker 1 And I have a simple theory, and that's whenever I do business of any kind, I have a three-foot theory, everybody around me be happy, healthy, and prosperous.

Speaker 1 And, you know, my goal is to help everybody around me get there because then it all comes back to me. So unselfishly, I've been just dedicating my life to the UFC for over 25 years as of February.

Speaker 2 What's the, you know,

Speaker 2 it might be a cliche, but what's the most memorable moment for you, you know, like

Speaker 2 as an announcer?

Speaker 2 It could be a fight. I mean, there's been so many memorable fights now, but what is your most like memorable in-ring moment now or out of the ring, you know, announcing or either?

Speaker 1 25 years. I have so many memorable moments.
There's no one that outstand.

Speaker 1 I can just give you samples and examples of many, whether it's pulling off a 360 move in front of Brock Lesnar or UFC 100 after being egged on by Joe Rogan and the internet for six plus months.

Speaker 1 And realizing, you know, after trying it in my room three times before I went down to the arena and slipping on the carpet twice, that I might not pull it off.

Speaker 1 But when I turned out of the corner of Frank Muir to go to face Brock Lesnar, I realized if I didn't pull the 360 and not just casual, I jump up and spin around and do it, that I would be the, as I termed, the bitch of the internet on Monday.

Speaker 1 The forums would have torn me apart. So that was one.
But, you know, there's just so many.

Speaker 1 There, you know, when Dana White and the Fertita brothers took over the UFC and, you know, we had this amazing dinner together and we all met. And

Speaker 1 then you go back to the tough finale, the ultimate fighter with

Speaker 1 Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonner, you know, one of the most amazing fights and amazing moments in UFC history where at that point we continued on going upward like a rocket ship where I have a first-class seat and it's still going that way.

Speaker 1 But that night we drew 15 share max or 12 share max on the final event. And you realize at that point that we made Spike and Spike made us, Spike TV, who we were with back then.

Speaker 1 There's all these memorable moments. But you know what?

Speaker 1 The moments to me that are most important is when I get the relationships I have with the fighters and the fans and the respect factor between us, or to have a guy like Antonio Noguera during one of his last fights in Brazil come back to me after his fight, just bleeding and wounded and said, you just must understand your introduction.

Speaker 1 It took me to another level.

Speaker 1 And it's like, Life's not about the paycheck. I'll be the first one to cash that damn paycheck on a Monday at the bank.
Trust me, I'm first in the line. I'll be there.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 1 But I'm not in it for the paycheck as much as I am in it for the paycheck. What you're talking about is what life is all about, these experiences.

Speaker 1 And I always tell people when I do my branding and marketing, you know, motivational speeches or whatever, one key thing in business is find out what you're passionate about.

Speaker 1 And if you can learn how to monetize it, you're not really working. You're living a lifestyle.
And that's, and my, I call my life by design. It's just like.

Speaker 1 My new company, Millions.co, where we're branding athletes and everything. This is my Millions.co t-shirt.
It's Buff Life with capital B, which means B. It's real simple.
Be, be who you are.

Speaker 1 Be the best you can be. That's all you can do.
Whether you're first, second, or third, if you're the best you can be, then you're winning. And that's what I'm all about.

Speaker 2 What's interesting, Bruce, is, you know, whether you know it or not, like I, I have watched you on UFC and things like that, but the emotion and like you wear it on your sleeve.

Speaker 2 Like I got to know you more, obviously studying up for this podcast and all that, but like, and I love Michael, but like I have always seen this emotion in the way you enter the ring and all that.

Speaker 2 And I'm like,

Speaker 2 there's something deeper here with you, with this. And I think you just distilled it really well.
And I think it shines in a lot of what you do. And I want to give you kudos for that.

Speaker 1 Thank you so much. I appreciate that.
You know, a writer once said that Michael's like a fine bottle of Bordeaux, right?

Speaker 1 But I'm like a fine bottle of Puncher's Channel, okay? I get out there and again,

Speaker 1 you hit it on the head.

Speaker 1 I attack it with passion i get back to passion it's one of my key words whether it's my feelings for my family a girlfriend or life in business okay i approach everything with passion that way in business if i get knocked down i get i stand up and like rocky said i move forward and punch harder than ever because you believe in yourself the moment i can't announce the way i want to announce if i have to start phoning it in i'm going to retire i'm done okay every night i walk out there it's time to be the best i can be i was out last saturday night I'm going to the octagon again Saturday night.

Speaker 1 I've been doing this for over 25 years. I have to prove to myself come Saturday night that I deserve this job.

Speaker 1 And it's that kind of hunger and that kind of passion that I've kept doing what I'm doing. I'm 64 now and I won't stop.
I stay in shape.

Speaker 1 I do everything I can because I train and I get ready for these shows like a fighter. The moment I can't enjoy that progression, that evolutionary process, like I said, I'm done.

Speaker 1 It's time for me to find another, get up from the table and find another poker game, go put my chips somewhere else.

Speaker 2 Well, it shows but how would you define the culture of the ufc i you know i mean it's raw but like is there it what are those what are the words or the descriptions that come to mind when you when you talk about the ufc

Speaker 1 you know there is a ufc lifestyle and fans live a ufc lifestyle whether they're you know wearing the uh the merch and and all that but

Speaker 1 it's the the fan i got to look at the fans to answer that that question because the reason we are where we are is because of the fans, aside from all the work and the great mastery of Maverick marketing and management that Dana White and his team do.

Speaker 1 But the fans have kept us alive and it's just gotten bigger and bigger and bigger.

Speaker 1 And aside from the younger demographic of the 18 to 34, we have the widest demographic, I think, of most sports, whether it's female or male.

Speaker 1 You know,

Speaker 1 I can just say again, it's like a lifestyle for these people.

Speaker 1 They have their first show. They want to see the next one.
They want to see the progression. Granted, there's a lot more shows now.

Speaker 1 It's hard to keep track of all the fighters, but they're so interested in what they have for breakfast, what they do in their private lives.

Speaker 1 Once you can lock people in like that, then you've got a successful audience. It's going to be a dedicated audience.
They'll be consistently watching you forever.

Speaker 1 Not just as happens in boxing now, which I love and I grew up in and have participated in. The bottom line is, is that the younger demographic is dying off on boxing.

Speaker 1 The Logan and Jake Paul fights are bringing him back in, but are they consistently going to watch other boxers? Are they just going to wait for their influencers?

Speaker 1 But at least young eyeballs are coming into the sport. The UFC is just capturing and holding people.

Speaker 1 Definitely.

Speaker 1 Let's face it, in COVID, we were the first sport to come back.

Speaker 2 Yes, you were.

Speaker 1 And it's really blown up as a result.

Speaker 2 Yeah. I mean, I want to transition to some of the businesses and its time and all those things.
But before we go there, like

Speaker 2 kind of close, not closing the book, but what's it like working with Dana?

Speaker 1 It's great. You know, I mean, Dana and I knew each other before he took over the UFC.
He called me when he bought it.

Speaker 1 He was managing Chuck Liddell and T. Door T's back then.
And the previous owner called me up, Robert Myers, said, I have good news and bad news.

Speaker 1 The bad news I sold the UFC, the good news I sold it to Dana White and the Petita brothers, and they want to keep you and John McCarthy. Everybody else is going.
Like, great.

Speaker 1 So, Dana,

Speaker 1 we get along really well.

Speaker 1 We're friends. We're brothers in arms.
He's a maverick, uh, he's non-stop.

Speaker 1 You got to really appreciate a man who's worth probably a half billion or more dollars and still has the passion to do everything he needs to do to keep this going because he could easily back off and live in one of his many homes and do whatever he wants.

Speaker 1 You know, it's a rare breed. There's a few, there's very few mavericks in life.

Speaker 1 I consider myself a maverick in business, but you got to look at Dana and you look at the Vince McMahons and you look at, you know, whether you agree with them or not, the Don Kings of this world.

Speaker 1 It takes people like this to keep these kind of things alive, and it's perfect, you know.

Speaker 2 What works well?

Speaker 1 And Dana's very generous, yeah, but you don't and very loyal. But if you're on his bad side, you're screwed, okay?

Speaker 2 Yeah, like you don't want that switch flipping.

Speaker 1 No, no, well, that's never going to happen between us, not between you, but uh, we probably throw a few punches at each other and have a beer afterwards.

Speaker 2 What's the what's the business of MMA like now, like both for you and in general?

Speaker 2 I mean, I guess, I mean, both inside and outside of the ring, you know, like we discussed, like, UFC and MMA, you know, announcing for you and being the voice of the octagon is so small to what you're doing now.

Speaker 2 It's just such a giant mega business, right?

Speaker 1 Yeah, you're talking about my business as well.

Speaker 2 Yeah, both that and just the businesses, the business of mixed martial arts now, you know, like I think people see the fighting and they see it and they get the pay-per-view and all that, but it's a big business.

Speaker 1 A big business. It's a billion-dollar business.
I mean, you're talking about a company in UFC that sold for $4.2 billion, the highest price ever paid for a sports franchise in the United States.

Speaker 1 If that doesn't speak volumes, I don't know what does.

Speaker 1 And then

Speaker 1 you got to look at it the standpoint for me personally, the octagon is my base. When I teach people about branding and business, you always have to have a base to work from.

Speaker 1 Forget about selling something 150 miles away from your base. Sell within a mile of your base.
If everybody's your customer, you're a multi-millionaire. You have to assume that attitude.

Speaker 1 So the Octagon's my base. It's established over 25 years.
All the other business ventures I have, I'm building out of the base. I did the same thing managing my brother's career.

Speaker 1 HBO Rocks and Marine was his base. We built the movies, the TV, the products, everything, which is what I'm doing too.

Speaker 1 Neither one of us ever crossing over against each other unless we work with each other. But the rules of business are very simple.
So when you have a King Kong gorilla like the UFC as your base,

Speaker 1 unless you're doing something wrong or you don't know what your brand is all about, there's no reason but to move forward and keep branding and building yourself.

Speaker 1 And that's one of the reasons I started the company Millions.co, because I'm trying to teach athletes in all sports how to brand themselves.

Speaker 1 You don't have to have a million, two million followers to be the top athlete in your sport to be able to brand yourself and monetize yourself, even when you're starting out.

Speaker 1 But people don't realize that. This is one of the ways, even though I'll make whatever I make out of this and all that, that's all great.

Speaker 1 I'm really doing this as a pay it forward thing to help athletes.

Speaker 1 I see too many athletes losing opportunities to make money and expand their careers because they don't have proper management or they don't know what to do themselves.

Speaker 1 And that's why I started Millions.co. Sorry if I segued there for a second.

Speaker 2 No, I love it. I want to build on that, but I think you nailed it.
And, you know, owning an agency, working with brands, the hardest thing to do is to create attention.

Speaker 2 And you, like you said, you have this base with all this built-in attention and all these fighters have all this built-in attention and leveraging that appropriately into all the other channels is where the opportunity is at.

Speaker 2 And, you know, so few people, I don't know why that's hard to grasp, but that's that brands and businesses spend millions and millions of dollars to create attention.

Speaker 2 And the UFC gives you a platform to do that. So then you leverage off of that.

Speaker 1 Well, leverage works in different ways, you know, and what you're saying too is like you ever watch, of course you have. You watch the Super Bowl, right? Now, I've had a Super Bowl commercial.

Speaker 1 I i was in a budweiser commercial okay bucket list fulfilled how many times do you watch a commercial on the super bowl where people have spent millions of dollars

Speaker 1 and it's over and you're like what was that all about that's called ego advertising all right people i i can't believe on the highest levels that this still happens so yeah no when you've got the ufc behind you when i appear for the las vegas raiders which is the new thing i started this year okay

Speaker 1 it's not about the ufc it's about me appearing for the raiders but in respect of the ufc they have to realize that I just gave them a million-dollar commercial because I've been told I'm one of the three faces of the UFC with Dana and Joe Rogan, let's say, right aside from all the amazing fighters we have who come and go as champions do.

Speaker 1 But we're constants. We're consistents.

Speaker 1 So I'll laugh and giggle with Dana and say, hey, I just gave you a million-dollar commercial. Time to renegotiate.

Speaker 2 It's true.

Speaker 2 Yeah,

Speaker 1 you got to use the powers that you have. Don't be cocky.
Just be real and go for it.

Speaker 2 Have you had offers outside of the UFC?

Speaker 1 Oh, God, yeah.

Speaker 2 I mean, yeah.

Speaker 1 I've had people throw buckets of money at me.

Speaker 2 But you're loyal.

Speaker 1 Loyal. Honestly, that's the, you don't leave the NFL to join the CFL, all respect to the CFL, right? Bellator is down there.
All respect to Scott Coker.

Speaker 1 Scott's a great guy. I've worked with Scott.
I did K-1 fights for him.

Speaker 1 But, you know, they're like catching fighters dropping out of the octagon, falling into the Bellator ring with all respect to Bellator. He does a fine job.
Here's the simple thing.

Speaker 1 Success breeds competition, and competition breeds success. You want other people to be successful, but the UFC is the rocket ship.
The flames are coming, and everybody's following their path, right?

Speaker 1 And I'm very lucky again to have a first-class seat on that rocket ship. Don't forget where you came from and what got you there.

Speaker 1 I've seen many people get cocky and make that mistake and leave, and they're done.

Speaker 1 Their relevancy is gone in six months.

Speaker 2 Let's talk about

Speaker 2 its time, the brand,

Speaker 2 the components that are coming out. We've talked about millions, some.

Speaker 2 I'm excited about it. As an energy drink guy, you know, I was watching your podcast last week and I'm like, all right, when's it coming to the U.S.? Talk about that deal.

Speaker 1 Well, I spent almost two years on this. It's the It's Time energy drink.

Speaker 2 Yes.

Speaker 1 Never thought I'd have my face on a can.

Speaker 1 So

Speaker 1 what this is, is basically I don't drink energy drinks.

Speaker 1 I might have to sip one once in a while and I'm just exhausted at a show or something for the main event or whatever, but I'm so full of energy, it's not an issue.

Speaker 1 But one of the reasons I don't drink energy drinks is because they're crap. No offense.
Yeah. Monster Red Bull, Big C successes, right? But they're full of taurine.

Speaker 1 They're full of the stuff that's so bad for you. And people are swallowing this down along with five-hour energy shots like it's candy.

Speaker 1 Like it's, I mean, when you, when I see advertising where five-hour energy shot, all respect to you guys, please don't get upset with me, but you're telling people to have it for breakfast.

Speaker 1 Are you kidding me? Right?

Speaker 1 If I'm going to drink an energy drink, I want it to be full of vitamins and minerals. Okay.
So we made this with athletes in mind. It's purely natural.

Speaker 1 Yes, there's 200 milligrams of caffeine from a natural source of caffeine in this. We've got Wolfberry extract,

Speaker 1 amino acids, vitamins, minerals. This is a nutritional drink with no crash, right? It'll perk you up in no crash.
We're actually dealing with USADA.

Speaker 1 Jeff Daviskin put me in contact with another company that's going to go after our barrels and batches and give a stamp of approval where this can be drunk, right?

Speaker 1 So

Speaker 1 energy drinks is is a huge seller. People are looking for them all over, but if I'm going to be in this business, I'm going to have the best product out there.
And that's exactly what we created.

Speaker 1 So I just launched it in the UK on a private launch, excuse me, a soft launch. My company's from the UK that's making it, and we're distributing out all over the world.

Speaker 1 We're going to have four distribution centers alone in the United States because the demand is going to be that big, and

Speaker 1 it's going to be everywhere. So the response has been tremendous.
You know, we've got five different flavors coming out, but it's also going to eventually go into a line of another 50 products.

Speaker 1 I'm going to have pre-workout and post-workout and nutritional products and everything.

Speaker 2 But

Speaker 1 slow organic development is the way I build business. And this is going to be the first one out of the gate, followed by other products I'll load the pipeline with.

Speaker 1 And I'm very excited because the response has been tremendous and the critiques have been tremendous, positive.

Speaker 2 It's great. I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Speaker 2 So November will be in the U.S. Where we'll be able to find it.
It would be it.

Speaker 1 We're going to launch it first on Amazon.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 1 And so then the retail stores will be coming afterwards um

Speaker 1 what i would say is follow me on instagram at bruce buffer ufc i make all my announcements there sweet i love that um

Speaker 2 you've got time for a quick one-word rad or fad i give you a keyword and you tell me rad or fad

Speaker 1 just keep going i go take another five or ten whatever i'm looking at what i my i just got a note my Kristen is coaxing me. She goes, you're cool, you're cool, you're cool.

Speaker 2 Nice.

Speaker 2 So it's time's coming out. Like, we're going to have pre-workouts.
We're going to have all that stuff.

Speaker 2 Are you going to have, obviously, you're the face of it with your trademark.

Speaker 2 Any other influencers or people that are going to be involved that we might know from UFC or otherwise? Or is this a sole venture with just, you know, like behind the scenes business partners?

Speaker 1 No, there'll be other people involved. I just can't name who they are yet.
I don't talk about anything unless the deal is signed on the dotted line.

Speaker 1 But I've got, believe, I have access to some of the most amazing influencers from Logan Paul to you name it, or my, you know, my buddy and stuff like that.

Speaker 1 If there's a business deal where money changes hands and things are proper, but there's one rule I have: if they don't like the product, they don't get the money. Period.

Speaker 2 I like it. I like it.
What do you, I mean, what is the Bruce Buffer personal brand? You know, you talked about social media. You've obviously embraced that with all the channels and platforms.

Speaker 2 Like, is there a strategy or something as far as how you go at it with like continuing that? You obviously have the base platform of attention

Speaker 2 and you're knowing there, but like, how do you approach social media from a marketing perspective?

Speaker 1 You know, I try, I put it out on social media, but I don't want to be like every post that I'm shilling for something. I'm shilling for I mix it up.

Speaker 1 You know, I give examples of my personal life and things that I do and obviously UFC, but it's a timely factor.

Speaker 1 I'm going to put things out that are pertinent and make a point, but I don't want to over, I've learned a long time ago marketing five words of air, let's get ready to rumble, which could have easily become, where's the beef?

Speaker 1 Show me the money. you know had a zandy warhol 15 minutes and died out

Speaker 1 saturation avoiding saturation is key knowing how to do it so people don't get sick of hearing it and that's why i come out with a variety of different products because it's time

Speaker 1 is uh such a strong somewhat generic statement that i own you know in respect to where i own in trademark wise that i don't want to abuse it i want to build it so it's careful marketing careful consistent marketing if that answers your question it does it does what do you think

Speaker 2 is people get to know you and see that? What do you think like the most surprising aspect maybe it is?

Speaker 2 Like, you know, you're intense in the ring, and then I'm sensing this, I don't know, this real empathy and real caring notion that it's been both refreshing and surprising. I mean,

Speaker 2 is that thing, is that something that a lot of people may not know or understand about you?

Speaker 1 I appreciate your kind words.

Speaker 1 You know, I think because I walk out in the tuxedo and I've got got the, you know, the jewelry and all that stuff, you know, my show, walk in the phone booth and go out to the octagon, you know, out of the phone booth, addresses the octagon announcer.

Speaker 1 But that's still me. That's me.

Speaker 1 You know, I walk with a, I walk with a swagger, you know, you know, a lot of people do.

Speaker 1 And I might be misinterpreted as being, you know, because I have, I represent and I'm so strong in my beliefs, maybe not cocky, but just a little overconfident or whatever.

Speaker 1 But I'm really humble, you know, I treat everybody around me with respect. I treat people the way I want to be treated.

Speaker 1 believe we're all created equal, you know, and

Speaker 1 I just like to be that way with everybody. You know, it's real simple.
I don't like cocky people, I don't like arrogant people, and I don't like assholes.

Speaker 2 Okay,

Speaker 1 and you put 10 men in a room, you know, you're going to get three of them that are going to fit that mold. So I'll deal with the other seven.
You know, so it's real simple. And I don't like liars.

Speaker 1 You know, I'm very honest and everything. I could sell an air conditioner to an Eskimo, but I'm not going to lie about it.

Speaker 2 I mean, how vested do you get?

Speaker 2 Like, it always, I don't know, separating because there's such intensity with the fighting and you're in the ring and you're calling it and you get so intense with the fighters. But like,

Speaker 2 is it hard to separate? I mean, do you, you go into it with favorites and things like that? Or do you just, are you turning all that off to be you?

Speaker 1 Yeah, it's a, it's a good question. Um, I'm an equal opportunity announcer.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 1 I don't bet the fights. I don't go in like, oh, geez, I got five grand on BJ Penn.
I think I better give him a big, uh, big boost here. No, it's not like that.

Speaker 1 These warriors, male and female, deserve every ounce of energy I can give them. It's my job to enhance the moment for them and enhance the moment for the fans.
The show is not about me.

Speaker 1 It's about them. I know what it's like to bang.
I fought a lot of my life. Okay.
I was never a pro. I'd fought on the beach.
I fought in the ring. I fought in the match.
You name it.

Speaker 1 I fought in back alleys. Okay.
The bottom line is I understand the mentality of a fighter.

Speaker 1 I've been around fighters longer than the UFC has been in existence because I've been around boxing and my own past history in fighting. So I understand the fighter mentality.

Speaker 1 That intensity, that passion I'm throwing forward is because I'm introducing the fighters the way I would want to be introduced if I was fighting because I want you to get me ready to go.

Speaker 1 These guys are like, and women are like Kentucky Derby horses in the cage or in that gate before that gate opens. And my job is to get them frothing at the mouth and blowing snot like crazy.

Speaker 1 So when that door opens, they just go for it.

Speaker 2 It's real simple. I love it.
I love it. I just, I don't know.

Speaker 2 I still go back to that like, you, but you watch every fight, right? Especially the main events. You're ringside watching every moment.
And it's like. Octagon side.
The octagon side. Sorry.

Speaker 2 Get my

Speaker 2 rings, my octagons.

Speaker 1 They called me the ring announcer for about six years in a meeting. I kept telling everybody until Dana said, Go back, guys.
Well, you get this straight. I'm the octagon announcer.
This is not a ring.

Speaker 2 I'm trying to teach my five-year-old what an octagon is right now.

Speaker 2 But no, but you're Octagon side and you're watching this.

Speaker 2 I don't know. I think of these shocking moments and I'm thinking like, well, you know, and I've never been to you.
I've been to boxing matches. I have never been blessed.

Speaker 2 I've been a ton of octagon in South Carolina. But

Speaker 2 we have fighters. We have the Wonder Boy is from right here in the upstate of South Carolina.

Speaker 1 Stephen's a good man. Yeah.

Speaker 2 So he's been great to follow. But

Speaker 2 I think of the shocking moments you know like when ronda rousey lost the first time or like not the first time i guess it was the first time but like are those as shocking for you as they are for us or again is it are you still like in the zone no i'm a fan first and an announcer second you know i mean there's plenty of shots of me like when

Speaker 1 Connor knocked out Jose Aldo in 21 seconds or whatever it was and everybody focused and made social media all over because my face was like

Speaker 1 you know like that and suddenly it's like you know you always got to remember there's a camera on you somewhere. But you know what?

Speaker 1 I go in and do my job, but I have a right to enjoy those fights like anybody else. You know?

Speaker 2 Yeah, I know. Where's it all going for you, Bruce? I mean, you know, sounds like it's time's about to rise like a meteor, but, you know,

Speaker 2 where's the future hold for Bruce?

Speaker 1 I have a bucket list yet to be fulfilled. You know, I've got a number of TV commercials.

Speaker 1 I've got a motion picture project in the works right now that I can't talk about, not necessarily starring him, but producing.

Speaker 1 You know, I'm always working on something, and what I'm trying to do is mainly, it's real simple. I want to keep my business plan on the passionate mode that it is with everything fitting perfectly.

Speaker 1 And I just want to make sure that everything I build is enough to take care of my family for the rest of their lives and

Speaker 1 their kids. And I've got two godson and a nephew.
I'm not married. I've never been married.
I've almost been divorced twice, but my ex-girlfriend from 27 years ago is my partner, Kristen.

Speaker 1 And she dealt with your company, company and she's absolutely amazing. We are a two-person army here doing more business than most small to mid-sized corporations.
But I'm godfather to her kids.

Speaker 1 I want to make sure nobody that I love and know has anything to worry about.

Speaker 1 And when I go, I just want to make sure everybody's taken care of and that I leave this legacy in a number of businesses that still could be running.

Speaker 1 And just everybody thinks that, hey, I was a good guy and I did the best I could to make everybody happy, including myself. Again, I'm real simple.
I'm real simple.

Speaker 1 But I'm like a great white shark swimming. You know, I love what I do.
I'll never stop. I'll be in the octagon for another 10 years until physically I can't do what I do.
You know?

Speaker 2 Yep. I love it, man.
Do we, is it too much to ask for it's time for the rad cast or is that like too cliche and like we don't do that?

Speaker 1 It's not too cliche. I just paid a shitload of money for it, but you know what? I'll do it for you.

Speaker 1 All right. What is it again?

Speaker 2 The rad cast. It's time for the rad cast or Ryan or whatever.
I don't care. i just want to go tell my friends that i talked to bruce brother and he did it's time for us

Speaker 1 and now

Speaker 1 it's time for the rad cast with ryan alford

Speaker 2 oh my god i had cold i had like i have chills mike i'm like oh my god is my mic like falling over

Speaker 2 when they stop when my hair stops rising up when i do my thing then maybe i shouldn't do my thing anymore dude i'm telling you Bruce, I can't be more thankful for your graciousness with the time.

Speaker 2 Huge, was a fan before, huge fan now.

Speaker 2 I think everyone listening is going to be more, and I think we're all going to be clamoring for an energy drink come November.

Speaker 1 Well, when you do that, try to mix it with the finest Kentucky bourbon in the market. If I can just give one pride, I'm so proud of this, Ryan.
Yes.

Speaker 1 Puncher's Chance is my bourbon I came out with at the end of last year. It's all about how one punch can change your life.

Speaker 1 It's everything I'm all about, but it is the sweet nectar of the bourbon gods. We've won six gold medal awards.
Wow. Three for the best-tasting bourbon, three for the best bottle design.

Speaker 1 And as a craft distributor, we're the fastest-selling highest-rated bourbon in America today.

Speaker 1 So this can be, this is awesome. You can go to Wolfdistilleryspirits.com.
You can buy it online.

Speaker 1 We're in stores, not in every state now, but all across the country. And it's just one of my favorite things to do.
And the last thing

Speaker 1 is at my website, BruceBuffer.com, or of course I'm on Cameo, but the whole business of championship introductions, birthdays, birth of babies, business videos, whatever, has grown during COVID like there's no tomorrow.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 Chris and I get a lot of pleasure out of doing the weddings and the champ intros, the thank you notes we get from people.

Speaker 1 It just brings tears to our eyes. We're making so many people happy.
And I give partial proceeds to animal, military, and children charities because you've got to pay things forward.

Speaker 1 You got to pay things forward.

Speaker 2 I love that. You beat me, Tom.

Speaker 2 You are the world's best marketer because, like, that's usually the last thing. I say thank you.
And then I go, Where can we keep up with everything? And Bruce, you're ahead of me, man.

Speaker 2 You are the world's greatest marketer.

Speaker 1 I don't know about the greatest, but I'll put myself up there. I know.

Speaker 2 I love it. Only because of proof.

Speaker 1 It's one thing to talk about things and talk about them, but it's about, did you do it? That's the key.

Speaker 2 All right.

Speaker 2 Give me the proof.

Speaker 2 Yeah. Everybody get out there and check out out Puncher's Chance.
Was it Puncher's Chance?

Speaker 2 There it is.

Speaker 2 Puncher's Chance. Go to BruceBuffer.com.
Follow everything that Bruce is up to. Hell of a guy and a legend in the Octagon.

Speaker 1 Oh, thank you so much, Ryan. I appreciate it very much.
Thank you so much.

Speaker 2 I'm Brian Alford. You know where to find us with BrianisRight.com.
Search for Bruce Buffer. Search for Puncher's Chance.
All the highlights from today's episode will be there loaded live.

Speaker 2 And keep up with everything with Ryan Alford. I'm all verified on all the platforms.
We'll see you next time.

Speaker 3 This has been Right About Now with Ryan Alford, a Radcast Network production. Visit ryanisright.com for full audio and video versions of the show or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities.

Speaker 3 Thanks for listening.