Buffer, Cosell, Solie.

Distinguished voices for sure.

Can you think of others? I can.

I was at the Bank Atlantic Center in (South Florida) Sunrise on Friday, Jan. 29 for the weigh-ins of the Strikeforce MMA event. I'm moving toward the side, looking for a spot to stand, when I heard that voice.

I stopped, looked at the podium, and it's ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. I should have known. The event will be on Showtime at 10 p.m. EST Saturday, Jan. 30, and Lennon Jr. is the ring announcer/voice for Showtime events.

He is known for his catch phrase, `It's Showtime.''

(Sting fans, I know.)

``I'm fortunate that my voice is associated with big fights,'' Lennon said, ``from boxing to mixed martial arts. Though I consider myself a newcomer to MMA, because I've been doing this for six, seven years, as opposed to 30 years with boxing, it's nice to hear the response from people and how meaningful it is to them.''

In those 30 years, mostly boxing, he introduced Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield and Winky Wright vs. Felix Trinidad. He announced fights for the now-defunct Elite XC MMA promotion and also for the K-1 fight promotion in Japan.

``I've also done a little pro wrestling and some kickboxing, Muay Thai in Thailand,'' Lennon said. ``I had traveled to Japan for the Mike Tyson/Buster Douglas fight. I've been to Germany, England, Indonesia, Venezuela and around the world. I love it.

``One time I did a fight in Turkey, and I was introduced as the American announcer, and I got booed terribly,'' Lennon recalled, ``but then as I started to announce, and I welcomed them in the Turkish language, I got cheers. So it was nice to win over the Turkish fans.''

Lennon Jr. ended up following in the footsteps of his famous father Jimmy Lennon.

``I grew up with it, and I work hard to do a good job, but I feel very fortunate to be where I am with these sports,'' he said, ``to be able to experience these great fights, experience great fans around the world and see the world. I'm truly one of the luckiest guys in the world.''

Grwoing up in Southern Califronia, Lennon Jr. attended UCLA.

``I didn't intend to be an announcer like my father,'' he said. ``I was studying at UCLA and had my own career in mind. I was doing announcing on the side at night with my dad. I started slowly, interviewing the fighters, doing some of the undercards.

``We worked together for seven or eight years, and then his health kind of failed him, and I took over from there, but it had been a time for a father and son to work together.

``It was good for me to spend time with him, and people loved my dad. He helped open the door for me, no question. I had the greatest teacher in the world, and I think it made him very happy that his son would follow in his footsteps.''

My introduction to Lennon Jr.'s father was as a youth watching taped Lucha Libre broadcasts from the famous Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoons or evenings on the Spanish TV channel in Miami. The only words I understood were Lennon's match introductions and post-match outcomes.

``I was a big wrestling fan growing up, watching it on TV and going,'' Lennon Jr. said. ``I remember some of my birthday parties. I would bring my buddies, and we would sit in the special box [at the Olympic Auditorium] and watch the wrestling.

``I remember Pedro Morales, Mil Mascaras, The Destroyer, Bobo Brazil, The Hangman, all those guys. I was terrific fans of them. Some of them became friends of the family, especially Freddie Blassie. He was a really nice guy. Roddy Piper, I worked with him outside of wrestling. Great guy.

``[Judo] Gene LeBell was one of the voices, and he also wrestled. He had a judo background and did many, many movies and TV shows, also as a stuntman, and also is credited as perhaps the first mixed martial artist when he fought a boxer, I think in Utah, and he submitted him, choked him out.''

LeBell also refereed the boxer vs. wrestler match between Muhammad Ali and Antonio Inoki.

Lennon Jr. continued: ``Gene LeBell was also one of my favorites.''

• Lennon Jr.'s father, who passed away in 1992, appeared in 75 movies as a ring announcer, including Raging Bull, Rocky III and Main Event. Lennon Jr. appeared in Hot Shots and I Spy.

• TNA Wrestling star and amateur wrestling standout Bobby Lashley, former NFL star Herschel Walker, Superstar Nick Diaz and Strikeforce 145-pound women's champ Cris Cyborg will compete MMA on Saturday, Jan. 30 at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise.

``This is a very exciting show. We've got a little bit of everything,'' Lennon said. ``The curiosity with Herschel Walker fighting, the guaranteed fireworks with Ruthless Robbie Lawlor vs. Melvin No Mercy Manhoef and the main event and semi-main event, both world title fights, and we get to see what Bobby Lashley is all about against big Wes Sims.''

The Strikeforce event starts 7:30 p.m., and it will be broadcast live 10 p.m. EST on cable channel Showtime. Tickets are on sale at the BAC box office or call 800-745-3000.

``I love working for Strikeforce,'' Lennon said. ``I've known [founder] Scott Coker for many years, and he is one of the top class acts in martial arts, mixed martial arts, combat sports who I've worked with in the past 25 years. I just love the sport MMA. I can't wait to announce the fighters and sit down and watch it.''