BOXING and UFC would not be the same without the Buffer Brothers’ famous introductions.
But the road to the top for the iconic multi-millionaire announcers was an amazing one as the siblings did not know the other existed until much later in life.
Michael, 75, is world famous for his legendary ‘LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE’ catch phrase and will be the announcer at Mike Tyson’s historic comeback fight against Roy Jones Jr on Saturday.
While Bruce, 63, has become synonymous with UFC for his ‘IIIIIT’S TIME’ introduction.
The pair are business partners with an estimated combined personal net worth of £312million – Michael £305m and Bruce £7m – but it could have all been so different.
A tail involving James Bond, the US Army, a £300m trademark and help from Donald Trump has seen the American duo rise to the top in the glizty and glamorous world of global fight sports.
Joe Buffer – who died in 2008 – is the brothers’ father.
And having married Michael’s mother young, he left to fight with the US Army in World War II – soon after Michael was born on November 2, 1944.
Buffer Sr divorced Michael’s mother when he returned nine months later and the couple became estranged.
Unable to cope as a single mum, Michael was fostered by the Huber family and took on that surname.
Until he also joined the US Army in 1965 during the war with Vietnam and that all changed.
Bruce described: “My dad never told me that when he was serving in World War II he had gotten married at a young age.
“A son was born and nine months later when he came back they divorced.
“The last time he saw the child was when he was two-and-a-half.
“Michael was raised by foster parents under the name of Huber but when he went into the army during the Vietnam war [recruiters] saw his birth certificate and told him his name was Buffer as he was never formally adopted as Huber.”
Bruce meanwhile was raised by his mother Connie, 91, – who he still calls after every UFC event – and Joe.
And he had no idea Michael even existed until his late 20s when he spotted him on TV working a boxing event in 1984.
Bruce was running his own telephone sales company at the time flogging printer ink and Herbalife products.
And he said: “I saw this man come out. This very handsome, debonair James Bond style man with an incredible voice.
“All of a sudden I’m becoming a fan and then he started putting his name on the TV screen and it said Michael Buffer and I thought ‘are you kidding me?”
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But the truth was finally revealed during a road trip Bruce and Joe took to San Francisco in 1985.
Having been curious for months, Bruce said: “Long story short, my father and I are on a road trip to San Francisco and by this time Michael is as famous as the boxers.
“People are asking me if he’s my brother and I tell them no.”
But having asked his dad if he had any idea who Michael – who styles himself on James Bond – was, Buffer Sr made the shocking revelation.
Joe replied: “I think that’s your brother.”
The siblings eventually met in 1989 after Joe contacted Michael and explained the situation.
And Bruce remembers the night fondly.
He said: “The feeling that overtook me was A: I’m a big fan of his work and a fan of what he does.
“But B: this is my blood. This is my brother. I’m hit by a kind of double whammy. It was a wonderful night. I was just so happy we all got along.”
Within a year, the half-brothers who had never met before were business partners for life.
Bruce helped Michael – who now earns £30,000 per event – trademark his famous ‘LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE’ catchphrase for a reported £300m.
And in return, Michael helped Bruce – who lives alone having never married – get his first gigs in the UFC.
Having been introduced to UFC in the early 90s Bruce was doing the odd event here and there before an appearance on world famous sitcom FRIENDS – where he played himself – made it impossible for the franchise to overlook him again.
Michael – who beat throat cancer in 2008 – had been a failed car salesman and a successful male model before breaking onto the boxing scene.
And he recalled how Trump got him his big break during his early days as an announcer in Atlantic City.
Michael said: “Trump had a big heavyweight fight, and I wasn’t the announcer, but I was connected through Budweiser, to get a front-row seat.
“So I showed up, and Trump came over to me. He said, ‘Didn’t my people call you?’ I said no.
“He said, ‘Well, we’re going to have a lot of big fights here, and you’re going to be the ring announcer.’ From that day on, it was pretty nice for me.”
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