Issue 059
February 2010
Behind the scenes of the UFC a lot of people tirelessly work toward creating the best MMA show on the planet. Everyone has their own indispensable role, and without them the UFC just wouldn’t be the same. Join us as we profile seven of the key figures in the UFC who make the magic happen.
In Brief
Bruce Buffer
Sharply dressed, dulcet-toned iconic ‘Voice of the Octagon’.
Arianny Celeste
Slim and sexy ‘professional hot chick’ (as Joe Rogan calls her).
Joe Silva
‘Vice President of Talent Relations’, Joe Silva is one of the most powerful men in MMA.
Joe Rogan
Gravel-voiced color commentator and resident MMA expert.
Marc Ratner
Grandfatherly type seen hovering around ringside and on stage during UFC weigh-ins.
Josh Hedges
Ever notice a big guy with a camera in the Octagon after a fight? That’s Josh, the UFC’s official photographer.
Burt Watson
Old-school as they come, Burt Watson is a former boxing manager and logistics expert who is an integral but little-seen part of the UFC.
What do they do?
Bruce Buffer
As MC for the evening, Buffer introduces the fighters and gets the crowd into a frenzy for every fight.
Arianny Celeste
Her main job is to simply carry a card around the ring before every round, but she also appears at various UFC events.
Joe Silva
Joe is the matchmaker for the UFC – he hires and fires every fighter on the roster.
Joe Rogan
Joe’s role as color commentator sees him provide expert insight on the technical side of the sport.
Marc Ratner
Ratner was formerly the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission before joining Zuffa.
Josh Hedges
Taking stunning images of the fights. If you’ve seen an official UFC image, he’s taken it.
Burt Watson
Finishing off almost every sentence with ‘baby’. “C’mon baby!” “That’s right, baby!”
Known for
Bruce Buffer
His catchphrase ‘It’s time!’ and his famous spin, the ‘Buffer 180’.
Arianny Celeste
Looking great in the tiny ring-girl outfit.
Joe Silva
Keeping a low profile; he’s the little guy with the dark hair who congratulates fighters in the Octagon after they win.
Joe Rogan
His almost obsessive love of jiu-jitsu. Is best friend of rubber guard creator Eddie Bravo.
Marc Ratner
Among Ratner’s roles is helping MMA become regulated in as many places as possible.
Josh Hedges
He takes all the portrait photos of fighters before an event and has a hand in designing the event posters.
Burt Watson
Burt coordinates everything backstage at a live event, from telling fighters when they’re on to shuttling people back and forth from the arena in buses.
Time with the company
Bruce Buffer
Buffer has been with the UFC since 1997.
Arianny Celeste
She’s been an ‘Octagon girl’ since 2006.
Joe Silva
Joe has worked behind the scenes of the UFC since the mid-nineties, before Zuffa bought them out.
Joe Rogan
Joe first worked for the UFC as an interviewer in the ‘90s but first commentated during UFC 37.5.
Marc Ratner
He joined Zuffa as vice-president for regulatory affairs in May 2006.
Josh Hedges
31-year-old Josh has been with them since before Zuffa bought the company.
Burt Watson
Burt has been with the UFC for close to ten years.
Without them…
Bruce Buffer
The UFC just wouldn’t be the same. Who could do as good a job as Bruce?
Arianny Celeste
We would only be able to guess what round was coming up next.
Joe Silva
The UFC would be left without someone to juggle their 200+ contracted fighters.
Joe Rogan
We’d have nobody to explain what happens when fighters get tied up like pretzels on the mat.
Marc Ratner
The UFC wouldn’t be entering new markets at such breakneck speed.
Josh Hedges
We’d be left without the awesome images you see everywhere from websites to this magazine.
Burt Watson
The smooth running of a live event would be compromised – he’s that important.
