ST: Michael, thanks for you time. You’ve certainly had a busy year so far in 2008. What shows have you commentated up till now?
 
MS: Thanks for interviewing me. “Busy” is an understatement. So far this year I’ve done K-1 GP shows in Budapest, Yokohama and Amsterdam; K-1 Max Japan at the Budokan; K-1 Max Japan in Hiroshima; Dream.1 and Dream.2 at Saitama Super Arena; The Contender Asia Finale in Singapore and of course shows for Fox Sports back home in Australia.

 
ST: What do you think of the new DREAM promotions?
 
MS: They’re fantastic. Dream.1 was really cool but I think Dream.2 was off the hook. That was one of the best MMA shows I have ever seen. Every fight was entertaining and there were some shock results – I mean who expected Shinya Aoki to school JZ like he did? And who expected Denis Kang to walk right into a triangle choke against Mousasi? And who expected Taiei Kin to be able to sprawl so well?
 

ST: Who are your favourite MMA fighters?
 
MS: Sakuraba. Rampage. Anderson Silva. Joachim Hansen. Eddie Alvarez. Renato Sobral. Kimbo. Fedor. I like everyone but these are my favourites. Oh and Randy Couture, he is an awesome human being.

 
ST: Do you find MMA harder or easier to commentate than stand-up fighting?
 
MS: I used to find it a lot harder but now it’s just as easy for me. When I started commentating MMA in Australia, I did a lot of research. I watched a lot of instructional DVDs and various promotions and read a lot of magazines to study up on all the moves. Also one  of my good mates is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt so I studied moves with him and even got him to put some submissions on me so I could feel what they’re like.
One of the things I love about MMA is there are so many techniques and the great fighters just transition beautifully from one technique to another and from one range to another.

 
ST: You’re renowned for your energetic commentary and using a lot of humour. This has become your trademark as a stand-up commentator over the last 13 years, is it something you’re bringing to your MMA commentary too?
 
MS: For sure. That’s me, what I’m all about – high energy, lots of passion, and use of humour. I see no reason to change my style for MMA.

 
ST: Do you have any commentary role models?
 
MS: As a kid I used to love watching WWF and listening to Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura. If anyone was an inspiration to my commentary today then it was definitely the late Gorilla Monsoon.

 
ST: A lot more commentators these days use humour and one-liners in their commentary, do you feel this is somehow a result of you implementing so much of that style in your commentary for so long?
 
MS: Yeah I do feel I had and do have something to do with commentators using more humour and higher energy. Go back 13 years and there weren’t many commentators at all doing one-liners and a high energy level.
The only thing I don’t like is when certain commentators try to imitate me or use my lines. What’s up with that? I know they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but to me it’s like, “Dude, get your OWN material.”
 

ST: Care to name any names?
 
MS: No. They know who they are.

 
ST: Do you get nervous before a commentary session?
 
MS: No, never. I’ve commentated over 3000 fights in the last 12 years. It’s just what I do.
 

ST: Do you still get excited?
 
MS: Hell yes. Every show, big or small. Can’t you tell by listening to me?!
 

ST: Do you do any special preparation before a show or have any special requirements?
 
MS: I just need a bottle of Coke, a bottle of water and a bottle of Diflam (throat spray, relaxant) on my announce table. Before a show I stretch my tongue, so if you see me before a show with my tongue touching my nose and looking like a monkey, that’s what I’m doing.
I like to relax before a show, to the point that I look almost morbid. People often come up and ask “Are you tired?” or “Is something bothering you?” before a show because I’m so quiet. But that’s the way I am. As soon as the on-air switch is flicked, I turn into this talking monster. I guess it’s weird. I don’t know. I just turn on when that switch is flicked and then turn off when it’s flicked off.
 

ST: Where is your favourite place to commentate?
 
MS: Las Vegas and Tokyo.

 
ST: You recently commentated The Contender Asia Finale in Singapore for Mark Burnett Productions. How was that experience? They are saying it’s the most watched reality television show in history?
 
MS: I think that’s right. Apparently it’s being shown to 400 million people in Asia in 22 countries right now and then it opens up to the USA, UK, Australia and beyond. It was an awesome experience. I felt like I was part of a Hollywood movie. Certainly something I will never forget.
 

ST: Will you commentate season two’s finale?
 
MS: I think so. They have already said myself and my co-commentator Mark Castagnini will be back for it, so yeah, looks that way. The Executive Producer of the show paid us a great compliment and said we were hilarious and not as stoic as many of the commentators in the US he has worked with. I was really flattered.
 

ST: You have worked with a lot of colour commentators, who are the best you have worked with?
 
MS: Well Mark Castagnini is the best. He has been my verbal sparring partner on Fox Sports in Australia for 13 years now. The chemistry we have, well, Einstein couldn’t formulate it better. We’re best mates off the camera – brothers from different mothers – really close. I also enjoyed working with Mike Angove on TVNZ.
Out of the fighters I have been paired with, Ray Sefo is the best by a mile. Ray and I are very close so we also have great natural rhythm and chemistry. I’ve done a couple of shows with Nicholas Pettas recently and he is really good. I also like working with Ernesto Hoost. Basically anyone who can keep up with me as I set a pretty high pace!
 

ST: How do you think the K-1 GP year is shaping up in 2008?
 
MS: It’s going to be an exciting one. K-1 is bringing up some great new talent, guys like Ewerton Texeira, Zabit Samedov, Sawayashiki, Pitchkounov,Errol Zimmerman, Tyrone Spong … fighters the future will rest on. Then you have a very strong talent pool of experienced fighters like Semmy Schilt – who is the most dominant ring sports champion in the world bar none – Feitosa, Aerts, Hari, Die Faust, Bonjasky, Sefo, Bregy, Musashi. It augurs well for the fans.

 
ST: And Max?
 
MS: Max is awesome. There has never been a boring Max show, and there has hardly ever been a boring Max fight. I think K-1 Max is consistently the highest level of fighting on the planet, in any fight sport or promotion. Max never fails.
 

ST: Who is your favourite Max fighter?
 
MS: Masato. Buakaw. Drago.

 
ST: Who is your favourite GP fighter?
 
MS: Ray Sefo is my brother so I’m biased there. I’d say Peter Aerts, Badr Hari and Glaube Feitosa are three I like watching the most.

 
ST: I believe you’ll also be commentating the Olympic Games in Beijing this year?
 
MS: That’s right. I can’t wait. It’ll be my first Olympics. I’m doing all the boxing for TVNZ and their affiliates. Should be a blast!
 

ST: What’s the scene like in Australia at the moment?
 
MS: It’s very healthy in Queensland, which dominates as far as Muay Thai goes. There are a tonne of great fighters in Queensland like Wayne Parr, Bruce MacFie, Nathan Corbett and so on. In Melbourne, where I live, it’s not so good. Melbourne was traditionally the kickboxing capital that produced the likes of Stan Longinidis, Sam Greco, Tosca Petridis, Gurkan Ozkan… but with kickboxing all but dead and Muay Thai taking over, Melbourne has struggled to catch up. We have no marquee Muay Thai names in Melbourne.

 
ST: Finally Michael, is there anyone in the world you’d like to commentate with one day?
 
MS: I’d like to commentate with Joe Rogan. I like his style and I reckon if you put my energy with his expertise we’d be incredible… if he can keep up with me of course? (laughs)

Feel free to discuss this interview here.

If you would like to listen to "The Voice" Michael Schiavello in action, take a look at THE CONTENDER ASIA finale on youtube.com.
Here are the links to the final fight between John Wayne Parr and Yodsanklai.
 
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3