Ron Perlman’s journey to becoming the iconic voice of the UFC happened through a combination of timing, proximity, and pure luck. The actor talked about it in a recent podcast interview.
During his time on ‘Sons of Anarchy,’ the gravelly-voiced actor found himself in the right place at the right moment, leading to an unexpected career turn that would make his voice synonymous with mixed martial arts.
“Pure luck,” Perlman explained when asked how he became the UFC voice. “We were doing Sons and one of the guys was a huge—well, no. UFC was on FX and that was the network of Sons of Anarchy. Yeah, they had it was an iteration, an early iteration of one of the adjuncts of UFC.”
The connection was straightforward. FX Network aired both Sons of Anarchy and UFC programming, creating opportunities for cross-promotion and collaboration. “It was playing on FX and FX would invite us. They did them very often at this stadium in Orange County. Then they did them in Vegas and they would always invite us and most of us loved the sport so we would go. And we got to meet Dana White, and we got to hang with Dana White.”
From those initial meetings and event appearances, the professional relationship developed organically. “I guess I don’t know I don’t remember the very first call I got to do a UFC but it led to a second and a third and now it’s I don’t know many years later,” Perlman recalled.
His recording process remains refreshingly straightforward and professional. When asked if he records from home, Perlman clarified: “I go into a booth. Like I don’t have a booth in my house. You want me? Give me the address. Make sure everything is right. Music stand at this height. I come in, I rip it, I get out.”
Despite his efficiency, Perlman brings genuine enthusiasm to the work. “But I have fun. I mean, I dig the UFC. I really do. I dig the sport. I think that the athletes are some of the most incredibly, you know, well-rounded athletes of any sport in the world. And have huge admiration for what they do.”
What impressed Perlman most about UFC fighters was their unexpected depth as individuals. “I’ve sat with a lot of them at dinners and stuff, and they’re all they’re not like prize fighters, you know? There’s not a lot of kids that came out of ghettos and this was their way out to a lot of very educated, very well-rounded, very bright kids getting into UFC.”
When asked if he ever improvises or adds his personal touch to the scripts, Perlman was definitive: “No. They don’t want me to put my Ron Perlman stuff in it. Hardly anybody does.”
