Thomas Desson

At a glance

• Has called MMA since 2008, starting on RTL9.
• beIN Sports from 2012 to 2018, then RMC Sport since 2018, where he calls the UFC.
• Announcer at Hexagone MMA events, and played himself in the 2024 Netflix series "La Cage."

Overview

Thomas Desson is a French MMA commentator. Born in Nantes in 1979, he studied broadcast journalism in San Diego. He has called MMA since 2008, starting on the French channel RTL9, nearly twenty years behind the mic.

He worked at beIN Sports from 2012 to 2018, then joined RMC Sport in 2018, where he calls UFC fights. He is also on Instagram as tomdessontv. All of his broadcast work is in French.

What you'll find

On TV, Thomas Desson calls the UFC events broadcast on RMC Sport, the channel he joined in 2018. French viewers hear him on the promotion's biggest nights.

Away from the booth, he is the ring announcer at Hexagone MMA events across France: he is the one introducing the fighters in the arena. In 2024 he played himself in "La Cage," a Netflix series about MMA by director Franck Gastambide. So you can see him on screen and in the arena at events held in France.

Why follow

Thomas Desson has been there as MMA grew on French TV, from RTL9 in 2008 to RMC Sport today, with beIN Sports in between. When he calls a fight, he brings nearly twenty years of experience with the sport, across three French broadcasters.

His announcing role at Hexagone MMA also ties him to the French scene, close to fighters who have not reached the UFC yet. You find him at major international events and at shows held in France. For English speakers, his US training in broadcast journalism is part of the story, and "La Cage" on Netflix is an easy way to see him outside a live broadcast.

MMA Official's take

This profile is for French fans who watch the UFC on RMC Sport and want to know the voice behind the broadcasts, and for people who attend Hexagone MMA events. It also interests anyone who discovered MMA through the series "La Cage."

Start by watching a UFC event on RMC Sport with his commentary. To see the other side of his work, catch a Hexagone MMA show where he announces, and check his Instagram account tomdessontv for his latest news.