Mike Straka is an American television host, author and producer. He is the host of the MMAVERICKS podcast on BLEAV networks "" and author of "" and is the host of "MMA Noise" He was co-host and producer on Spike TV's primetime mma news magazine show, MMA Uncensored Live and he was the creator and the host of "TapouT Radio" on Sirius XM Sports. He serves as the in-cage post fight interview correspondent for World Series of Fighting and as UFC correspondent for Fight Now TV. WSOF 1 aired live on NBC Sports Network on November 3, 2012 from Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada. Straka hosted Fighting Words with Mike Straka on Mark Cuban's HDNet which featured interviews with mixed martial arts athletes. He is a regular contributor to FIGHT! Magazine, and wrote a book on MMA, based on interviews from his television show, , which was published by Triumph Books. Straka is also a producer at Fuse TV and has interviewed and produced several television pieces on well-known artists, including Sinead O'Connor, Zedd, Sam Smith, Naughty Boy, Wiz Khalifa, R Kelly, Lou Reed, Armin Van Buuren, Jeff Bhasker and more. Straka was a vice president and executive producer at FOX News Digital, and also served as an on-air commentator on Hollywood and celebrity topics, as well as sports, for the cable net and on FOXNews.com. He created and produced Strategy Room. Straka hosted and was executive producer of FOX Fight Game, a mixed martial arts features and news program, and was a columnist on FOXNews.com.
Acting career
He played "Young Minetta" in the film Analyze This and appeared as "Johnny" off-Broadway in Tony n' Tina's Wedding. Straka appeared in several television commercials in the 1990s, including The Olive Garden, Healthy Choice Pasta Sauce, The Powerpuff Girls and Target.
Early years
Straka was born in Newark, New Jersey and grew up in Barnegat Township. He graduated from Monsignor Donovan High School, where he was on the wrestling team. He studied acting at Rutgers University and wrestled for The Scarlet Knights, and moved to New York City to begin his career, where he specialized in commercials, daytime soaps and the Off-Broadway play Tony N' Tina's Wedding while continuing his studies. He started his career as a CBS page, ushering audiences through the West 57th Street studios to see talk shows like Geraldo and Joan Rivers, and giving tours and answering phones throughout the building. After a year as a page, he was hired by CBS News Radio to be a desk assistant. He joined Fox News Channel just prior to the network launch in 1996, and served as a tape operator, writer, associate producer, producer, and director of operations and special projects for FOXNews.com, and ended his career there in 2010 as Vice President and Executive Producer for FOX News Digital.
Family
He is divorced and has two daughters.
Publications
Straka wrote , a biography of Ronda Rousey, , about mixed martial arts fighters and personalities, published by Triumph Sports. His first book was ''GRRR! Celebs And Other Reasons Why We're All In Trouble"]
