Bruce Buffer says retirement is not on his immediate horizon.
The 69-year-old has announced UFC fights since 1996, becoming a full-time announcer the following year. As the organization has grown, so has Buffer’s profile. He has worked thousands of fights at major events around the world, and says he still has plenty of energy for the job.
Asked how much longer he plans to continue, Buffer said the question comes up often. He told people he is looking forward to UFC 400, though that does not mean he intends to retire after the event. He said he puts everything he has into each night of work, both physically and mentally.
With a major UFC event held about once a month, UFC 400 could take place in the summer of 2031. Before then, Buffer is due to work UFC 344 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, where a stacked card is expected to draw dedicated fight fans.
He has also taken on a different role in a Bud Light campaign, appearing as a waiter serving steak. The brand’s “Fight Night Feast” includes official UFC gloves, two tomahawk steaks, a Paramount+ subscription for watching the fights and Bud Light.
Buffer called the idea a perfect night. He said he enjoys making fun of himself and liked the campaign’s concept when it was presented to him. Acting, he added, was something he was happy to try.
For now, Buffer expects to keep announcing for at least another decade. Still, he says he approaches each event as if it were his first, feeling he has to prove to himself, the fans, UFC president Dana White and the fighters that he belongs there.
Though he is 69, Buffer said he has been an athlete throughout his life and continues to train. Working alongside some of the world’s best athletes, he added, helps keep him going.
