Bruce Buffer adds to his small blooper reel with a major screwup at UFC 301 (Video)

Longtime UFC Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer had a scarce, albeit major blooper during the UFC 301 main card. Buffer, who has been the official Octagon announcer for the UFC since 1996, took center cage after Anthony Smith submitted Vitor Petrino at UFC 301. As he read the official decision, a submission win by guillotine choke for Smith, he announced Petrino as the winner. But, he made a quick 180 and corrected his mistake, confirming Smith as the rightful victor.

As Buffer realized his mistake, Smith quickly turned around and visibly laughed with the longtime announcer. Even Petrino, who suffered his first career defeat, seemed dumbfounded by Buffer's gaffe. But, all sides had a fun laugh at the awkward moment, and Smith even proclaimed 'I love you, Bruce!' as he left the cage.

Bruce, the brother of legendary boxing announcer Michael Buffer, has been the perennial voice of mixed martial arts for millions around the world. The articulation, poise, and energy of his announcements have helped grow the sport. Buffer's UFC announcing career began at a time in the 1990s when MMA was illegal in most states.

Bruce Buffer called the wrong winner of the Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino fight

Buffer's mistakes on the microphone are extremely rare. This moment at UFC 301 was the first time that he made a mistake so severe that he had to quickly course -correct. Every once in a while, Buffer will mispronounce a fighter's name, a minor infraction.

The rest of UFC 301 featured Buffer's famous flair as the top of card's fighters had their moments in the spotlight. The card was headlined by a UFC flyweight title matchup between Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg. The co-main event marked the return of UFC Hall of Famer José Aldo to the Octagon.

Luckily, Buffer won't have to wait long to put this gaffe behind him and make it a distant memory. UFC 302 and UFC 303 in June are expected to be two of the biggest cards of 2024. UFC 303 marks the return of Conor McGregor against Michael Chandler, while UFC 302 features a lightweight title showdown between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier.

The Buffer brothers have been two of the most important broadcasting personalities in combat sports history. Both announcers have been front and center for wild knockouts, bloody battles, and other memorable moments. If anything, Bruce's mistake shows that even the best of the best are still prone to embarrassing moments in front of large audiences.

Buffer seemed to take his blooper in stride and had plenty of self-humor to go along with his persona. As for Smith, the former UFC light heavyweight title challenger's UFC 301 win will forever be partially clouded by a rare Buffer mishap.