"Never thought I'd see the day he'd miss" - Fans react to "rare" Bruce Buffer blunder during UFC 301

Bruce Buffer made a rare error in his octagon announcing duties. The gaffe transpired during the UFC 301 (May 4, 2024) event. Fight fans soon chimed in with their takes regarding the same.

A notable fight on the card in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was the Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino light heavyweight bout. Smith, a former UFC light heavyweight title challenger, handed Petrino the first defeat of his professional MMA career. 'Lionheart' beat the Brazilian fighter via first-round submission (guillotine choke) in their showdown at UFC 301.

During the post-fight octagon announcement segment, Buffer mistakenly suggested that Vitor Petrino had won. He immediately corrected himself and announced Anthony Smith as the winner. Buffer said:

"Vitor! Excuse me ... Anthony 'Lionheart' Smith."

Watch the video of Buffer's blunder below:

Many fans expressed their support for Buffer, suggesting that the 'Veteran Voice of the Octagon' is human after all and seldom makes such mistakes. An X user notably indicated that Buffer was a thorough professional, as he swiftly rectified the error and carried on with his work. One fan tweeted:

"Damn never thought I'd see the day he'd miss."

Another fan wrote:

"Rare mistake from Mr Buffer"

Alternatively, Bruce Buffer, who first appeared in the UFC way back in 1996 and has been a promotional staple, earned criticism from some fans. An X user insinuated that he fumbled a simple announcement. Others jested that perhaps Buffer was informed about a Petrino win beforehand.

Moreover, some fans referenced Charly Arnolt, the UFC's first female octagon announcer. Arnolt temporarily replaced Joe Martinez who was reportedly unwell at UFC Vegas 91 (April 27, 2024).

Multiple X users seemed to suggest that the 36-year-old Arnolt is younger and could assist the 66-year-old Buffer. Noting that Buffer's age is likely catching up to him, a fan opined:

"Bruce is old. That lady from last week must assist him."

Check out the screenshots of a few reactions below:

Screenshots of reactions

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When Bruce Buffer erred while announcing Derrick Lewis' UFC debut

On the Full Size Run podcast in 2023, former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway lightheartedly jabbed at Bruce Buffer. 'Blessed' recalled his UFC debut against Dustin Poirier at UFC 143 (Feb. 4, 2012) and noted that Buffer mistakenly announced his native Waianae as "Wainate." Holloway highlighted that he confronted Buffer, who apologized to him.

Furthermore, a notable instance of Buffer making a mistake in his announcing duties was during the fighter introductions part of Derrick Lewis' UFC debut. Lewis made his maiden octagon appearance at UFC on FOX: Werdum vs. Browne (April 19, 2014), sporting a 9-2-1 MMA record. Buffer erroneously announced his record as 2-9-1. Buffer said:

"Fighting out of the red corner, a brawler, holding a professional record -- two wins, nine losses, and one No Contest. He stands six feet three inches tall, weighing in at 256 pounds."

Watch Bruce Buffer's introduction of Derrick Lewis in the video below: