Skip to main content

Michael and Bruce Buffer have become institutions in boxing and MMA thanks to their flair with a microphone in hand.  Not every weekend is a fight weekend, however, so the half-brothers have branched out to other endeavors.

These days, Bruce Buffer picks up $349 at a time doing custom-made videos on behalf of fans who want to share birthday wishes or other special announcements with family and friends. One of those quick-hit videos was already destined for induction into the social media hall of fame, and now there’s another contender out there.

What is Cameo.com?

Launched in 2017, Cameo.com enables celebrities to sell personalized video messages to fans. The thousands of available celebrities include numerous figures from sports. A message from NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo starts at $40, retired soccer star Mia Hamm charges $125, and Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre gets $400. Others command $1,000 or more.

The site is catching on. The Wall Street Journal reported that the website generated $100 million in sales in 2020. The investors behind Cameo.com tripled its valuation to $1 billion by raising $100 million in additional capital in early 2021.

UFC announcer Bruce Buffer is available on Cameo.com for $349 a pop. His profile page contains close to 1,000 likes and hundreds of positive reviews for the way he hams up the most mundane birthday and anniversary announcements in his full-throated octagon voice.

By the way, Michael Buffer is available on the same website, charging $299.

Bruce Buffer’s baby announcement is a guilty pleasure

The Cameo.com video of Bruce Buffer announcing the birth of a baby boy began making the rounds in May 2021. It might only be his second-best bit of moonlighting work, but it’s already a hit.

New dad Darren Russell shelled out the $349 to announce the birth of son Mason William Russell in Buffer’s full octagon persona. We could try describing it and even transcribing it into standard English, but that doesn’t do it justice. So, just watch the video above and enjoy the PopSugar.com transcription:

“Aaaand nowwwww, on this very special day, Wednesday April 21, a veeeery special boooy was born at 10:59 a.m. to parents Darren and Haaaaley Russell and joining his siblings Eva aaaand George! And now this is the moment we’ve aaaaall been waaaaiting for! Weighing in at 8 pounds 2 ounces, iiiiit’s tiiiiime to welcome the future chaaampion of the wooooooorld, Mason Williaaaam Russeeeeeelllll!”

Breaking up is easier to do with Buffer’s help

While Michael Buffer has made “Let’s get ready to rumble” his meal ticket, Bruce Buffer’s go-to line in UFC fight introductions is, “It’s time!”

In December 2020, a Cameo.com customer familiar with Buffer’s years of work introducing mixed martial arts fighters called upon him to bring a failing relationship to an end.

Buffer pulled it off in 14 brutally blunt seconds, announcing, “It’s Timmmme for Kaylee to movvvvve onnnnn.”

Conor McGregor was never as savage in ending a fight as Buffer was in ending that relationship.

Like Sportscasting on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @sportscasting19.

Best in UFC
Avatar photo
Staff Writer, Producer - Motorsports

John Moriello

John Moriello started covering sports in 1982, began digital publishing in 1995, and joined Sportscasting in 2020. A graduate of St. John Fisher University, he finds inspiration in the underdogs and the fascinating stories sports can tell (both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat). John expertly covers all aspects of NASCAR.

Beginning with his 2014 coverage at Fox Sports of the aftermath of the dirt-race tragedy in which Kevin Ward Jr. died after being struck by a car driven by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart, John has excelled as a journalist who specializes in the motorsports world. He previously spent more than three decades covering high school sports and worked as a beat writer covering Big East football and basketball, but NASCAR is now where the true expertise falls.

John is a member of the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame (2013), the President of the New York State Sportswriters Association, and a two-time Best of Gannett winner for print and online collaborations whose work has appeared on FoxSports.com and MaxPreps.com.