Amazing news for MMA fans this evening as it turns out that the announcer that will be calling the broadcast television debut of the Sport on CBS is none other than Gus Johnson. From MMA Rated via Five Ounces Of Pain....
Officials from CBS and EliteXC held a press conference and autograph signing in Studio City, Calif. earlier this afternoon in anticipation of the first mixed martial arts event to be broadcast on live primetime television on Saturday, May 31.Johnson will be joined in the booth by Showtime announcer Mauro Ranallo and former UFC middleweight champion Frank Shamrock for CBS' first broadcast two Saturdays from now. Gus has called many a Boxing match in his day, so this should be a great fit.
FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned from those attending the press conference that Gus Johnson has been announced as the lead play-by-play announcer for the historic event.
I'm not sure about the fighters themselves (because I'm not up on my Elite XC), but he gets a couple of stars in Kimbo Slice and American Gladiator Gina Carano (Crush), and a title bout as well.
CBS EliteXC Card For 5/31
Gus & Mauro: A Match Made In Heaven (MMA Rated)
Gus Johnson to call play-by-play during EliteXC: Primetime on CBS (Five Ounces Of Pain)
Joe Rogan must be fuming - no CBS/MMA gig, NBC won't bring back Fear Factor, and "Mind of Mencia" season 4 debuts this week.
ReplyDeleteHahaha....great call Doney.
ReplyDeleteAnd Mencia had a stand up special last night...must've stolen at least 50-60 jokes.
ReplyDeletethe hot chick from american gladiators AND gus johnson.....i'm down.
ReplyDelete-dan
I'm not too excited about this... I don't know how experienced Gus is with MMA or judo moves... on play-by-play, he needs to really be up on everything. Having Shamrock in there will be a big help. I hear good things about Ranallo as well. As long as this doesn't become a Gus-lead show, I retract my lack of excitement.
ReplyDeletezak, In Gus We Trust...it worked for Frerotte so it has to work with GuJo.
ReplyDeleteWHY THE HELL IS GUS JOHNSON DOING THIS MATCH? HE HAS AS MUCH BUSINESS DOING MMA AS JEMELE HILL DID ON THE ESPN COLLEGE BASKETBALL COVERAGE DURING THE TOURNAMENT. HE SUCKS!!!
ReplyDelete/Joe D
@ Zak, he has done boxing before...MMA is the same thing only you can kick and give up the back and.......
ReplyDeleteGus Johnson is doing the match just to piss you off Joe D.
ReplyDeleteNow go make a stupid comment about us circle jerking to him.
Yeah, way to represent anon. And ss, everyone knows you had a little accident when you read that headline. Why did you change your little picture, embarrassed about your man crush?
ReplyDeleteActually, my picture was photoshopped.....it had your mom on there at first so I changed it.
ReplyDeleteAhh...silence I see?
ReplyDeleteI win!
Anyways, I've listened to Ranaullo before and he is a great announcer....he and Gus should work well together.
Is it too late to get Joe D & SS on the undercard? I would have SS as the early favorite at 3-1, unless Joe D got Johnnie Mortoned a few comments ago.
ReplyDeleteJoe D got Mortoned twice over.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sportable.com/2008/05/13/sportable-spot-episode-50-gus-johnson-on-new-knicks-coach-mike-dantoni/
ReplyDeletePost this as an update. Gus Talks about the fight in this interview with us.
So exactly how does Gus taste AA?
ReplyDeleteSportable dude: if you would have sent the Gus Johnson interview to AA last week (since the post on your site is dated May 13), you would have been out in front on the story.
ReplyDeleteGus is the perfect fit. MMA is a sport that requires over-the-top wall-to wall SCREAMING!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCalling something that is to sport what snuff films are to cinema is no way to get Jim Nantz's job, which in a perfect world, Gus would have.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how Gus will do, but I trust that he'll be fine. Regardless, hearing him on the call as Kimbo KO's Thompson will be worth it.
ReplyDeleteAnd if not, then there's always Gina Carano!
There seems to be a fair amount of well-known fighters in MMA on this card to make this event interesting (to name two: Robbie Lawler and Phil Baroni). This does seem to be an interesting lineup.
ReplyDelete... and I'm sure Rogan is doing mighty fine with his UFC gig on PPV.
Gus Johnson's screaming makes baby Jesus cry.
ReplyDeleteRanallo should be the voice. Having Gus in there is dumb. You don't need 2 PxP guys in one booth, and I doubt Johnson would know a Kimura from a Kimora Simmons. Yeah, I got nothin--doesn't matter. This is a bad move.
ReplyDelete