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David Diamante (born November 8, 1971) is an American ring announcer, TV host & boxing historian. He is best known for his trademarked catchphrase, The fight starts now! and his distinctive announcing style in which he repeats each fighter’s last name twice.

Early Life
Diamante was born in Baltimore, Maryland. At age 20, Diamante moved to San Francisco, California and actively pursued the sport of boxing, training out of King’s Gym in East Oakland, CA.

Boxing
Diamante began his ring announcing career in New York City. His first fight was in the basement of the Church Street Boxing Gym in Lower Manhattan.

Diamante volunteered for several years in the New York boxing community announcing fights for USA Boxing Metro and the New York Golden Gloves. He has since gone on to announce for HBO, Showtime, ESPN, DAZN, Fox Sports, NBC, CBS, Sky Sports and many others.

In 2018, Diamante signed an exclusive deal with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing with broadcasts appearing on DAZN and Sky Sports.

NBA/NCAA Basketball
In 2012, Diamante was selected by Jay-Z and Nets management to become the official voice of the new NBA franchise, the Brooklyn Nets. He signed a multi-year deal and announced the final season for the Nets in New Jersey in 2011-2012 before following the team on their move to Brooklyn. He has also announced numerous NCAA Men’s Basketball games for schools across the US.

MMA/Muay Thai
Diamante has announced various MMA and Muay Thai events, including the first ever legally sanctioned MMA show in New York City in May of 2013.

Civic Work
As a NY-native, Diamante has announced a variety of culturally significant boxing events in NYC. In October of 2012, Diamante hosted the co-naming ceremony of 45 Street in Sunnyside, Queens, to Sunnyside Garden Way in celebration of the famed, now-demolished Sunnyside Garden boxing arena.

TV
Diamante anchored The 'Lights on NBC Sports Network, a daily morning sports highlights program that was launched in August of 2012 as an alternative to ESPN 's SportsCenter. Diamante hosted the show Cigars with David Diamante produced by Unarmed Media.

Emcee
In December 20, 2013 David Diamante emceed Choices the NYC DOT launch of their anti-DWI Campaign with New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and former Net Kerry Kittles.

Diamante voiced the 2016 and 2017 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year Awards, won by LeBron James and co-won by José Altuve and J. J. Watt, respectively.

In September 7, 2013 Diamante served as the emcee for the Friars Club Roast of Boomer Esiason at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

Drumming
Diamante played drums in several bands over the years including LDK (Reston, VA) and Sharkbait. He drummed with Sharkbait as the headline act for Burning Man on September 4, 1994. Diamante recorded with and gave drum lessons to Kirk Hammett from Metallica in the early 90’s.

Cigars
Diamante is the former owner and founder of Diamante's Brooklyn Cigar Lounge in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. He logged time in Cuba, Nicaragua, Honduras and Dominican Republic learning the tobacco trade. He produces his own brand of cigar named Diamante's, which is made of Cuban-seed Nicaraguan, Honduran and Dominican tobaccos hand rolled in the Dominican Republic.

Honors
Diamante has been recognized as the 2015 Ring Announcer of the Year by Ring 8, The Veteran's Boxing Association of New York.

Charity
Diamante is involved in a variety of charitable causes and has hosted events for Haymakers for Hope cancer charity, Team Fight to Walk, WBC Cares, and others.