Michael Schiavello
Encyclopedia
Michael Schiavello is an Australian sports commentator for K-1
, Dream
, Maximum Fighting Championship, King of the Cage
and The Contender Asia
. He has also written for more than 50 publications worldwide and was the long-serving editor of Blitz Magazine, and was also the editor of International Kickboxer Magazine until 2009, a feature writer for Inside Sport
magazine and was the youngest ever inductee to the Best Australian Sports Writing Awards.
. Shortly after he began hosting his own radio sports show on Southern FM where he was called "Mr Scoop" for his ability to score interviews with world famous sports stars between High School and Home Work. Some of the famous sports personalities Michael interviewed for his community radio show included soccer stars Diego Maradona and Pele, tennis stars Gabriela Sabatini, Stefan Edberg and Goran Ivanisevic, cricket stars Richie Richardson, Wasim Akram and Mohammed Azzarudhin and pro wrestler The Junkyard Dog and more.
When he was 21 a fight promoter in Melbourne asked him to commentate the video of his show. Other promoters heard it, liked his style and asked him to do their shows. Then when Foxtel (Fox Sports) came on air in 1996 they asked him to commentate for them and has been ever since.
He is the voice of K-1
, Dream
, Sengoku
, The Contender Asia
and all of HDNet Fights
, having signed with the North American broadcaster in July 2009 after capturing the attention of the network's billionaire owner, Mark Cuban
. Other promotions he has commentated for include: MFC, XFC
, Adrenaline
, Evolution, XPlosion, King of the Cage
and BAMMA
.
Michael has also commentated the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He also helmed the biggest Pay Per View event in Australian television history when, alongside the late Clinton Grybas, Kostya Tszyu, Adam Watt and Paul Briggs he was part of the broadcast team for Danny Green vs Anthony Mundine.
Michael has commentated over 4000 fights in more than 15 countries since 1996. Cities he has commentated in include Tokyo, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Bucharest, Taiwan, Beijing, Montego Bay, Lodz, Budapest, Omaha, Tampa Bay, Edmonton, Seoul, Auckland and Honolulu.
Michael made a guest appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast on July 24, 2011.
In 2010 Michael became the first commentator to ever be nominated for "LEADING MAN" Award at the World MMA Awards in Las Vegas.
In September 2011, Michael was nominated for "BEST SPORTS HOST" in the 2011 CableFAX Cable TV Awards. The Awards will take place October 18 in Hollywood, CA.
The one-hour sit down interview show with some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment has proven a hit with viewers. Guests on the show include Hulk Hogan, Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Rogan and Badr Hari. To date "The Voice Versus" has filmed in four countries: USA, Australia, South Korea and The Netherlands.
Other guests to have appeared on the show are: Wanderlei Silva; Jason "Mayhem" Miller; Alistair Overeem and Tito Ortiz.
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
, Dream
DREAM (mixed martial arts)
Dream is a mixed martial arts organization promoted by former PRIDE FC executives and K-1 promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group. DREAM replaced FEG's previous-run mixed martial arts fight series, Hero's. The series retains many of the stylistic flourishes and personnel from Pride FC...
, Maximum Fighting Championship, King of the Cage
King of the Cage
King of the Cage, also known as KOTC, is a mixed martial arts promotion based in Southern California, USA.-History:KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features up and coming MMA stars as well as experienced combat fighters....
and The Contender Asia
The Contender Asia
The Contender Asia was a reality-based television series that follows 16 aspiring Muay Thai middleweight fighters from 12 countries as they compete in a series of outdoor challenges and sanctioned matches...
. He has also written for more than 50 publications worldwide and was the long-serving editor of Blitz Magazine, and was also the editor of International Kickboxer Magazine until 2009, a feature writer for Inside Sport
Inside Sport
Inside Sport is an Australian sport magazine published by nextmedia. Inside Sport largely comprises articles by freelance journalists, covering a wide array of sports. It focuses on sporting content, sports photography, and the attention given to models and their photo shoots...
magazine and was the youngest ever inductee to the Best Australian Sports Writing Awards.
Commentating
Michael first got his start in commentating at age 16 at a Track and Field event in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. Shortly after he began hosting his own radio sports show on Southern FM where he was called "Mr Scoop" for his ability to score interviews with world famous sports stars between High School and Home Work. Some of the famous sports personalities Michael interviewed for his community radio show included soccer stars Diego Maradona and Pele, tennis stars Gabriela Sabatini, Stefan Edberg and Goran Ivanisevic, cricket stars Richie Richardson, Wasim Akram and Mohammed Azzarudhin and pro wrestler The Junkyard Dog and more.
When he was 21 a fight promoter in Melbourne asked him to commentate the video of his show. Other promoters heard it, liked his style and asked him to do their shows. Then when Foxtel (Fox Sports) came on air in 1996 they asked him to commentate for them and has been ever since.
He is the voice of K-1
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
, Dream
DREAM (mixed martial arts)
Dream is a mixed martial arts organization promoted by former PRIDE FC executives and K-1 promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group. DREAM replaced FEG's previous-run mixed martial arts fight series, Hero's. The series retains many of the stylistic flourishes and personnel from Pride FC...
, Sengoku
World Victory Road
World Victory Road is a defunct Japanese Mixed Martial Arts organization which promoted the Sengoku Raiden Championship in Japan. The organization was formed in 2007 following the purchase of Pride FC by Zuffa. It operated in conjunction with the Japan Mixed Martial Arts Federation...
, The Contender Asia
The Contender Asia
The Contender Asia was a reality-based television series that follows 16 aspiring Muay Thai middleweight fighters from 12 countries as they compete in a series of outdoor challenges and sanctioned matches...
and all of HDNet Fights
HDNet Fights
HDNet Fights is a US based mixed martial arts promotion and a television outlet for various other MMA and combat sports promotions. Its broadcast lineup included DREAM, Sengoku, K-1 and K-1 Max, Strikeforce, Adrenaline MMA, SportFight, Ring of Fire, Ring of Combat, M-1 Global, Ring of Honor,...
, having signed with the North American broadcaster in July 2009 after capturing the attention of the network's billionaire owner, Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban is an American business magnate and investor. He is the owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theatres, and Magnolia Pictures, and the chairman of the HDTV cable network HDNet....
. Other promotions he has commentated for include: MFC, XFC
XFC
Xtreme Fighting Championships is a United States mixed martial arts organization that has produced stadium fight cards in Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee, runs MMA-themed gyms...
, Adrenaline
Adrenaline MMA
Adrenaline MMA is a mixed martial arts organization operating primarily in North America. It was formerly part of M-1 Global but became independent on October 2007 with Monte Cox as its head.-Foundation:...
, Evolution, XPlosion, King of the Cage
King of the Cage
King of the Cage, also known as KOTC, is a mixed martial arts promotion based in Southern California, USA.-History:KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features up and coming MMA stars as well as experienced combat fighters....
and BAMMA
BAMMA
The British Association of Mixed Martial Arts is a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United Kingdom. It is considered by many as the biggest MMA promotion in the country. It premièred on June 27, 2009 and was shown on the television channel Bravo...
.
Michael has also commentated the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He also helmed the biggest Pay Per View event in Australian television history when, alongside the late Clinton Grybas, Kostya Tszyu, Adam Watt and Paul Briggs he was part of the broadcast team for Danny Green vs Anthony Mundine.
Michael has commentated over 4000 fights in more than 15 countries since 1996. Cities he has commentated in include Tokyo, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Bucharest, Taiwan, Beijing, Montego Bay, Lodz, Budapest, Omaha, Tampa Bay, Edmonton, Seoul, Auckland and Honolulu.
Michael made a guest appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast on July 24, 2011.
In 2010 Michael became the first commentator to ever be nominated for "LEADING MAN" Award at the World MMA Awards in Las Vegas.
In September 2011, Michael was nominated for "BEST SPORTS HOST" in the 2011 CableFAX Cable TV Awards. The Awards will take place October 18 in Hollywood, CA.
The Voice Versus
In 2010 HDNET launched "The Voice Versus" series hosted by Michael Schiavello.The one-hour sit down interview show with some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment has proven a hit with viewers. Guests on the show include Hulk Hogan, Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Rogan and Badr Hari. To date "The Voice Versus" has filmed in four countries: USA, Australia, South Korea and The Netherlands.
Other guests to have appeared on the show are: Wanderlei Silva; Jason "Mayhem" Miller; Alistair Overeem and Tito Ortiz.
Books
- Bouncer! Real Life Stories [1998]
- Offside! The Wild Side of Soccer [2000]
- Bodies of the Rich and Famous [2000]
- ReflexJack [2001]