Mike Goldberg On UFC Departure: “I Was In Shock”
Mike Goldberg had been a part of the UFC commentary team for almost two decades, his last night of commentary for the promotion was at UFC 207 this past December. Goldberg knew a month ahead of time that his time in the UFC was up, but it didn't make things any easier.
"Around December 1, I got the news that my contract would not be renewed. So I was given about a month’s notice and I had a couple of shows left. I had Urijah Faber’s last show, which was awesome. I had the trip to Toronto, and of course UFC 207 was my last show. It was a shock, I was speechless and I didn’t know what kind of emotion to have because I was just in a state of shock and disbelief,” Goldberg said on The MMA Hour.
Goldberg also discussed the changes a company makes when it undergoes an ownership transition. Many others lost their jobs.
"I am not the only guy that was let go by the new ownership. It was well over 100 people. I’m the one being talked about because I had the high-profile job. But I’m not going to sit here and weep because new ownership came in and I was one of the guys who got cut," he added. "I was one of a lot of people, a lot of good people from the ZUFFA era that got caught. So I feel for my co-workers, for my friends as much as I felt for myself. I watched everything around me be shattered. It took 15 years to build this wonderful family, and it felt like it took 15 minutes to destroy it. And it was a really tough time, and it’s still a tough time because there may be more to come. This is not uncommon with an ownership change."
Goldberg hasn’t announced any plans for the future yet, but he has done commentary work in the past for the NHL and the NFL, among other sports leagues.
