Quick Definition
A color commentator is the expert analyst in a UFC broadcast booth who explains why fighters do what they do, breaking down technique and strategy while the play-by-play commentator calls the moment-to-moment action.
What is a color commentator?
The color commentator is one of the two voices you hear on most UFC broadcasts. The play-by-play commentator narrates the action as it happens. The color commentator adds the analysis: what a fighter is trying to set up, why a takedown got stuffed, how one small adjustment swung the round. The role exists because live fight footage rarely explains itself to a general audience. A body kick landing looks simple, but recognising that it was baited three exchanges earlier takes a trained eye.
The name comes from broadcasting, not from MMA. In American sports coverage, “color” refers to the richness and insight a second announcer brings beyond the bare description of play, according to Wikipedia’s entry on the role. Most UFC color commentators once fought or coached, because reading a contest in real time usually means having lived it. Joe Rogan holds black belts in taekwondo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Daniel Cormier is a former two-division UFC champion. That background is what lets an analyst translate a scramble on the mat or a hidden feint for viewers at home.
How color commentary works in a UFC broadcast
During a fight, the color commentator works around the lead voice rather than talking over it. When strikes are flying and the pace is high, the play-by-play commentator calls the action and the analyst holds back. If fighters reset, tie up in the clinch, or grind along the fence, the color commentator steps in: flagging a stance switch, a cut opening up over an eye, a game plan starting to fall apart.
Between rounds is where the role earns its keep. Those sixty seconds give the analyst room to explain what just happened and to guess how each corner will respond. Momentum reading matters too. A sharp color commentator calls when a fighter is fading or when a submission sits closer than it looks, often a beat before the finish arrives.
Color commentator vs play-by-play commentator
Both voices talk throughout a fight, which is why viewers mix them up. The split comes down to what each one is responsible for.
| Play-by-play commentator | Color commentator | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Narrates the live action | Analyses it and adds context |
| Speaks when | Something is happening | The action pauses or resets |
| Typical background | Broadcasting or journalism | Former fighter, coach, or analyst |
| UFC example | Jon Anik | Daniel Cormier, Joe Rogan |
| Other names | Lead commentator, announcer | Analyst, expert commentator |
On a UFC card, Jon Anik leads play-by-play while an analyst such as Cormier or Rogan handles color. Anik calls the left hook as it lands. Cormier explains why the opening was there in the first place.
The UFC’s color commentators
The UFC rotates a small group of analysts through the color role, and most of them fought professionally before picking up a microphone. A few have become fixtures of the broadcast.
| Commentator | Background | Color commentary since |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Rogan | Comedian, black belt in taekwondo and BJJ | 2002 (with the UFC since 1997) |
| Daniel Cormier | Former two-division UFC champion | 2016 |
| Michael Bisping | Former middleweight champion, Hall of Famer | 2019 |
| Paul Felder | Former lightweight contender | 2017 |
| Dominick Cruz | Former bantamweight champion | 2016 |
| Laura Sanko | Former pro fighter, longtime broadcaster | 2023 |
Rogan joined the broadcast in 1997 as a backstage interviewer and moved into color commentary in 2002, according to Bleacher Report. He now calls only United States pay-per-view events. Laura Sanko made history at UFC Vegas 68 in 2023 as the first female color commentator of the promotion’s modern era, as reported by MMA Junkie, decades after Kathy Long called the first UFC event in 1993. On a typical 2026 pay-per-view, Jon Anik anchors play-by-play with Cormier and Rogan or Bisping alongside him, per UFC broadcast announcements.
Common misconceptions
Fans often confuse the color commentator with the Octagon announcer, Bruce Buffer, whose booming “It’s time!” comes from inside the cage. Buffer introduces the fighters and reads the results; the analyst in the booth does neither. The two roles get mixed up because both are loud and famous, yet one announces, and the other breaks down the fight.
“Analyst” and “color commentator” describe the same job. Broadcasts use the labels interchangeably, and outside North America the role often goes by “summariser” or “expert commentator” instead.
Color commentators also draw criticism for sounding biased toward fighters they admire. That is a style complaint, not a definition. Their job is to interpret the fight, and interpretation always carries a point of view.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the UFC’s main color commentator?
There is no single one. Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier are the most recognisable, and they usually handle the biggest United States pay-per-views together.
Is a color commentator the same as an analyst?
Yes. In UFC broadcasts, the terms mean the same thing, alongside “expert commentator.”
Do you have to be a former fighter to do color commentary?
No, though most UFC analysts are. The role rewards deep fight knowledge, which former competitors and coaches tend to have.
What is the difference between a color commentator and the Octagon announcer?
The Octagon announcer, Bruce Buffer, is the voice inside the cage who introduces the fighters and reads the official results at the end. Color commentary happens up in the booth.
Sources
- Wikipedia. “Color commentator.” Accessed August 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_commentator - Merriam-Webster. “Color commentator.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/color%20commentator - Paramount Press Express / UFC. “CBS Sports’ Kate Scott joins Jon Anik, Joe Rogan, Daniel Cormier and UFC’s broadcast team.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=112296-cbs-sports-kate-scott-joins-jon-anik-joe-rogan-daniel-cormier-and-ufcs-broadcast-team-for-ufc-on-paramount-debut-event - UFC.com. “UFC commentators Megan Olivi, Paul Felder, and Michael Bisping re-sign long-term extensions.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-commentators-megan-olivi-paul-felder-and-michael-bisping-re-sign-long-term-extensions - Bleacher Report. “Joe Rogan Recalls How He Became a Color-Commentator for the UFC.” Accessed August 2026.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1048195-joe-rogan-recalls-how-he-became-a-color-commentator-for-the-ufc - Sportskeeda. “Breaking: Laura Sanko to become second female color commentator in UFC.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/news-breaking-laura-sanko-become-second-female-color-commentator-ufc
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