Behind the Mic: 2018 FIFA World Cup Quarterfinal Broadcast Teams Announced, UFC 226 Provides Coverage With 11 On-Air Personalities

Behind the Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week’s edition, the broadcast teams for the Quarterfinal on Fox Sports are announced, assignments were given out last week’s UFC 226, and ESPN is looking to add Dan Orlovsky and Kay Adams to their team of on-air talent.

Fox Sports named its broadcast teams for the Quarterfinal matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

JP Dellacamera and Tony Meola called the first Quarterfinal match of the day on July 6 with Jenny Taft reporting from the sideline for Uruguay-France on FS1. In the second match of the day, lead play-by-play announcer John Strong and lead analyst Stu Holden teamed with pitch reporter Rodolfo Landeros to work the Brazil-Belgium matchup on FS1.

On July 7, Derek Rae and Aly Wagner called England-Sweden on Fox, with Geoff Shreeves reporting from the sideline. In the final Quarterfinal match, Strong and Holden called Russia-Croatia on Fox, with Maria Komandnaya reporting from the pitch…

…FOX Sports announced retired UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping, retired title contender Kenny Florian and lead UFC host Karyn Bryant worked the desk for The Ultimate Fighter Finale and UFC 226: Miocic vs. Cormier on Thursday, July 5, Friday, July 6 and Saturday, July 7.

Brendan Fitzgerald and veteran MMA analyst Jimmy Smith called The Ultimate Fighter Finale live on FS1 and streaming on the FOX Sports app Friday, while Santiago Ponzinibbio and Victor Davila called the bouts in Spanish on Fox Deportes. Megan Olivi added reports and fighter interviews. On Saturday, blow-by-blow announcer Jon Anik was joined by analysts Joe Rogan and former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz to call the bouts live Octagon-side at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Olivi worked as backstage reporter. Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum joined Ponzinibbio and Davila to call the UFC 226 Prelims in Spanish on Fox Deportes…

…Awful Announcing is reporting that ESPN has agreed to terms with former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky for a college-football role. Kay Adams, co-host of NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, is reportedly in discussions as well…