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Mike Straka        

Journalist, Producer, Sports Analyst

“No matter how many ‘no’s you hear, it only takes one ‘yes’ to make your career.”

Pioneer of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) coverage, veteran broadcast journalist and author Mike Straka has a million colorful stories and an inspiring message about personal success.

Mike is the co-host of Spike’s "MMA Uncensored Live." A truly interactive experience, the show invites MMA fans to participate on Twitter and Facebook, via live polls during the show, and by the invitation to suggest ideas for segments. It’s broadcast live on Spike TV from MTV Studios in Times Square every Thursday at 11 p.m.

Former host of HDNet’s "Fighting Words with Mike Straka" (and author of the 2011 book "Fighting Words: In-Depth Interviews with the Biggest Names in Mixed Martial Arts"), Mike began his broadcasting career as an entry-level page at CBS Television, working his way up as a desk assistant, tape operator, writer, producer, and eventually a vice president and executive producer at the number one rated cable news channel.

Through perseverance honed as a collegiate wrestler and lifelong martial artist, and the insight into the TV business that comes with 20 years of working in the industry, Straka has a unique message: Never Say No to a Job.

“All you have is your reputation, and in order to gain a good reputation, you have to be flexible and patient with your goals,” says Straka. “Everyone has to get in the door in the first place. It doesn’t matter how you get there or what you’re doing when you do. What matters is how you do it once you’re in.”

Speech Topics

My Life in Broadcast Journalism, or How to Succeed at Anything by Really Trying

Mike Straka loves to motivate young people. In this talk, specifically geared to people just starting out in their careers, Mike distills the essence of his broadcast journalism success. Often called “the interviewer’s interviewer,” the veteran broadcaster has a knack for getting the very best out of his subjects – whether it’s Tom Cruise, Jon Bon Jovi – or Chuck Liddell. Depending on the audience, Mike will delve deeply into the nuts and bolts of on-air interviews, or use his experience as an inspirational example to help college students understand how to use their passion to open career doors. “I’m not anyone special – my dad was a UPS man – but hard work and integrity and being the ‘go-to’ guy really works,” says Mike. “Never say no to a job.” (For students of media and broadcast journalism, this engagement can include an interactive workshop.)

MMA Uncensored: An In-Depth Look at Mixed Martial Arts

Mike Straka brings your audience inside the cage and behind the scenes of Mixed Martial Arts. As host of Spike’s MMA Uncensored Live and Fighting Words, Mike Straka has sat down with the men who have shaped – and continue to shape – the world of Mixed Martial Arts. In this multimedia presentation, Mike, the first mainstream media broadcaster to cover MMA as a sport, shares anecdotes from such industry giants as Dana White and Randy Couture, showing audiences why MMA is the fastest-growing sport on the planet.

Fighting Words: An Evening with Mike Straka

Let Mike motivate your audience with his fighting words, amazing stories, and insights into success in any field. His own story is inspiring and riveting and funny, from his start as an actor and a CBS page to his rise as a broadcaster and producer at FOX to his fame in bringing Mixed Martial Arts to a mass audience. He’s covered everything from 9/11 to the Olympics and the Academy Awards. In this high-energy talk, peppered with multimedia snippets from his amazing interviews, Mike distills the personal motivational insights that have driven his career: maintaining integrity in the workplace, always saying yes to new opportunities, never shying away from risks. It’s a perfect keynote address, after-dinner speech, or small-audience motivational rouser. He’ll leave everyone in your audience ready to go out and fight to turn their dream jobs into their day jobs.

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