Chad Fishburne Clean Contact interview on ring announcing

The Chad Fishburne Clean Contact interview with Lexi covers how an Atlanta Hawks event job and improv led him to ring announcing, why social media matters to his career, and the Legacy Fighting Alliance show in Tenerife that became an anniversary trip with his wife. Fishburne also discussed the Buffer brothers, his ideal Porsche and the advice he gives new announcers.

How did Chad Fishburne become a ring announcer?

Chad Fishburne began working live events in 2008 with the Atlanta Hawks, long before he started ring announcing during the pandemic. An improv background gave him experience performing for crowds, while his martial arts background drew him toward combat sports; a reel he made with his wife helped book his first ring-announcing job in Sweden.

Starting with the Atlanta Hawks

Fishburne was in an Atlanta improv troupe when he got his start at Hawks events. A friend was the main performer and Fishburne was his backup. He later worked with the Atlanta Braves and did public-address announcing as well, so his career has not been limited to cages and rings.

Stand-up and improv suited someone who liked being onstage, but martial arts gave him a reason to pursue combat sports in particular. He described engaging the crowd as the point of the job. Being close enough to see fighters respond to that energy makes ring announcing different from his other live-event work.

Learning from Michael Buffer and Bruce Buffer

Michael Buffer was the announcer Fishburne grew up with. He admires Michael's vocal quality and Bruce Buffer's performance and showmanship, and said he tries to combine those strengths. He also recognizes that fans are not tuning in for the announcer; his aim is to add to their experience and the fighters' excitement.

Which brands and cars interest Chad Fishburne?

Chad Fishburne gravitates toward brands connected to his interest in Formula One and cars, naming TAG Heuer, Delta Air Lines and Porsche. If he could choose one long-term brand partnership, he would pick Porsche, imagining a deal that let him drive whichever model the company wanted to highlight.

TAG Heuer and a hypothetical Porsche deal

Fishburne owns a TAG Heuer watch, which helps explain why the brand came to mind. His interest is not restricted to luxury names: he also joked that he would welcome a call from Jimmy John's because he likes its sandwiches. He was describing brands he would enjoy working with, not announcing partnerships.

His imagined Porsche arrangement would swap his car every three to six months. Asked to specify one, he chose a 911 Turbo S in midnight blue, with a tan interior and a black top. The detail was part of his ideal deal, not a car he said he owns.

What ring announcer advice did Chad Fishburne give?

Chad Fishburne advises aspiring ring announcers to build experience at local and regional shows rather than aim immediately for the biggest events. He also recommends improv classes, especially for people who are shy or lack a performance background, and says a creative reel can help someone secure a first opportunity.

Local shows, improv classes and a reel

For Fishburne, repeated appearances and confidence reinforce each other. Improv classes can make a performer more comfortable in front of people, while smaller shows provide the practical experience that comes across when larger opportunities arrive. He recommends improv beyond announcing because of the confidence it can build.

His own reel offers another route into the field. With live events unavailable during the pandemic, he and his wife filmed one that led to his first ring-announcing job in Sweden. He suggested that newcomers think creatively about what they can film, rather than assume they need access to a cage or ring to show what they can do.

Fishburne has seen announcers make social media clips by approaching fighters and announcing them in everyday settings. He did not prescribe that approach for everyone; his broader advice was to use the talents and opportunities available to make a reel. He said he regularly contacts a database of about 200 promoters.

How does Chad Fishburne use social media for his career?

Chad Fishburne sees social media as part of preparing for larger announcing jobs, alongside performance, experience and a recognizable personal brand. He wants more collaborations and would consider an Instagram Live show with a clear format, such as fighter interviews or a conversation between combat-sports fans.

He worries that a promoter could like an announcer's work but see low engagement or follower numbers as a drawback. That is why he does not want to retreat from social platforms, even though he said he has not done many Instagram Live sessions. He wants the online side of his work to support, rather than undercut, his live-event experience.

Fishburne said a co-hosted show could give people room to exchange ideas and make the result more engaging. His improv experience has made him comfortable creating something with other performers instead of working alone. Explaining the standard he is trying to meet, Fishburne put it this way:

I'm trying to be undeniable

What happened when Chad Fishburne worked with LFA in Tenerife?

Chad Fishburne singled out his Legacy Fighting Alliance assignment in Tenerife, Spain, as a career memory. Just before the event went live, LFA's president entered the cage and gave him a tongue-in-cheek welcome that Fishburne understood as a tradition. The trip also coincided with an anniversary getaway with his wife.

A call to the Canary Islands

Fishburne said he had to look up Tenerife after getting the call about the show. The island is in the Canary Islands, off the west coast of Africa, and the opportunity to work there stood out even before he entered the cage. He initially found the invitation hard to believe.

The pre-show handshake

Immediately before going live, LFA's president came into the cage, shook Fishburne's hand and delivered a blunt, joking warning not to make a mistake. Fishburne emphasized that it was friendly rather than intimidating and said he was glad to be included in the tradition. He and his wife combined the assignment with their anniversary trip.

Which events and teams did Chad Fishburne discuss?

Chad Fishburne named three upcoming assignments at the time of the conversation: Prime Fight Night near Chicago, Peak Fighting in Texas and a combat-sports event in Switzerland. He also shared his Atlanta Braves allegiance and agreed to support Lexi's Cleveland Guardians while the Braves were out.

Prime Fight Night, Peak Fighting and Switzerland

Fishburne gave October 24 for Prime Fight Night in Romeoville, Illinois, November 7 for Peak Fighting's PFC55 in Texas, and November 21 for a boxing, K-1 and Muay Thai event in Switzerland. He pointed fans to his website for event links and said he posted his schedule on Instagram and TikTok. Those dates were his plans when he spoke, not a current event calendar.

Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Guardians

When Lexi explained that she was a Cleveland Guardians fan, Fishburne said his Braves were out and offered to support the Guardians. She proposed backing the Braves if Cleveland was out the following year. It was a brief exchange, but it also connected his baseball fandom to one of the teams he had worked with in live events.

Who is Chad Fishburne?

Chad Fishburne is a professional ring announcer whose work has appeared on DAZN, Triller TV, Fubo Sports and UFC Fight Pass. His career also includes public-address and live-event work.