HDNet’s MFC voice is tops among mixed martial arts broadcasters

The Maximum Fighting Championship has always believed in surrounding itself with the best when it comes to fighters, staff, production, and so much more.

So it should come as no surprise that the MFC feels it has the best when it comes to play-by-play announcers. Kenny Rice, the man at the mic for MFC’s broadcasts on HDNet Fights, is unquestionably the top dog when it comes to calling the intense in-ring action. Rice is a master of letting the scene play out in front of him, allowing the fighters to tell the story, and picking the right spot to make his own statement on what is front and centre on camera.

It’s not an easy task being a sports broadcaster, especially in mixed martial arts, but Rice has accepted the challenge and thrived on the opportunity.

“I’ve never tried to compare myself. I’ve got my own style,” explained the 53-year-old Kentucky native. “I’ve picked up things and kind of set a template but I do try to let the action play out. I don’t believe you have to explain every single thing going on.

“The analyst really is the star and I rely on them. The one thing you can’t do is interfere with the show or the sport.”

Rice certainly has fit right into the HDNet Fights broadcast booth nestled in beside whichever analyst is along for the ride.

“Bas (Rutten) and I have worked together the most and I love that we have this great friendship. People can really see that we click together. The same goes for Guy Mezger. I haven’t worked with him as much but we’re very comfortable together and I’ve been able to pick up a lot about the sport from both of them.”

Gaining MMA knowledge was a critical point for Rice, who had developed his style from calling the much more traditional action of baseball, football, and basketball. But like his own vision on how to let the action speak for itself, Rice had an inkling of where a good career path would lead.

“I’d covered 20 different sports over my career and done quite a bit of boxing when I joined HDNet in 2003,” he explained. “Then we started expanding to other sports and they were curious to know if I’d be interested in doing MMA. I saw the vision of where Mark Cuban, Darrell Ewalt, Andrew Simon, and Guy Mezger were taking things. I saw that plan and I wanted to be a part of it.

“It’s really been groundbreaking doing things like ‘Inside MMA’ where we’ve covered the whole sport, not just one organization. I’m really proud of that show. We’ve had such a variety of people on it and I think it’s been very good for the sport. So many people are interested in all aspects of the sport – they are real students of it and they want to know about all the organizations.

“I still enjoy all the sports I do but there’s something in particular about MMA with the action. It’s as close to non-stop as you can get.”

Rice grew up in Kentucky and remains a proud resident of the state, living in Lexington for the past 30 years and still following University of Kentucky basketball and his beloved horse racing. But he is hardly a homebody. Over 2009, he has logged some 300,000 travel miles including more than 45 trips to Los Angeles for “Inside MMA” episodes. Amongst all that travel have been several trips to Canada for the Maximum Fighting Championship, an organization that Rice has seen take giant steps since its partnership with HDNet began.

“I’m really impressed with how the MFC has gone from being a really solid regional show to today where it is a real international player in the fight business,” said Rice. “Seeing a lineup like Thales Leites, Jason MacDonald, Dean Lister, that’s very impressive.

“The thing I’ve noticed and what has made the MFC stand out to me is the real growth which we at HDNet Fights have not seen with a lot of other shows. The MFC has become a very versatile organization. You still see the fighters who are from the home region and they are very good, but you’re also seeing guys like Paul Daley from Europe, guys from Brazil, from all over Canada and the United States. And for that, the organization deserves a lot of credit. Things are constantly improving.

“Mark Pavelich may be flamboyant and controversial but he and his staff get the job done.”

Rice and HDNet Fights return to the Maximum Fighting Championship for MFC 24: Vindication on Friday, February 26 at the River Cree Resort and Casino, just outside Edmonton, Alberta.