Alberto Del Rio Reportedly Signs Announcer Deal with UFC
Former WWE champion Alberto Del Rio has reportedly signed a new deal to join the Spanish commentary team for the UFC, according to Lucha Libre Online.
Del Rio is scheduled to be on commentary duty for this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall at the O2 Arena in London, England. This also marks the return of UFC to London, as well as their first international event to happen in 2022. The main card is headlined by the heavyweight bout between Alexander Volkov and Tom Aspinall.
Reports suggest that a short-term deal has been reached by the two parties although mutual interest still remains for a possible long-term affiliation. He’s also slated to perform the same role on the mic for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) in the near future.
Is Alberto Del Rio a good match for the UFC?
Alberto Del Rio could prove to be a valuable addition to the UFC given his appeal to the Spanish-speaking fans of the organization. He has experience in the sport with his most notable MMA bout coming against former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz in 2019. Ortiz won the fight with a submission in the first round.
Del Rio has also fought for Pride Fighting Championships in the early 2000s and was temporarily named the President of the MMA promotion Combate Americas.
He was unceremoniously let go from the wrestling organization due to kidnapping and sexual assault allegations charged against him by his ex-girlfriend. As of last December, he’s been cleared of all the charges and has expressed interest in returning to WWE or joining AEW. It looks like he may stay in the MMA community as WWE, Impact Wrestling, AEW, and MLW have expressed no interest in signing him.
