Bellator and broadcaster Jimmy Smith agree to new five-year deal
Veteran Bellator MMA broadcaster Jimmy Smith will be a fixture on event broadcasts through 2018, officials today announced.
Smith, the on-air color analyst for nearly 100 Bellator events, will maintain the position thanks to a new five-year deal. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Smith, a former fighter and “Fight Quest†host, will continue working with veteran play-by-play man Sean Wheelock on the organization’s Spike TV broadcasts. He’ll also continue hosting weigh-ins and other speciality programming for the California-based organization.
“I couldn’t be happier to know that the next half decade I’ll be able to continue calling Bellator home,†stated Smith, who first commentated for the organization in 2010. “The entire team at Bellator are really like family to me, and to have seen this family/company grow the way it has since I came aboard is really incredible.
“I’ve been with Bellator since the start of Season 2, and I’ve called almost 100 fights with the company over the last five years. Our partnership with Spike, the ratings, audience, sold-out live events and, most importantly, the incredible fights makes this a perfect situation for me. Having seen firsthand what’s happened over the last four years, I cannot wait to see what happens over the next five.â€
Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney said he knew Smith, who’s generally regarded as one of MMA’s better broadcasters, was the man for the job during their first conversation.
“I called Jimmy early in 2010 about the possibility of joining the Bellator team,†Rebney stated. “I was familiar with his work but had never had an actual conversation with Jimmy. I brought up that we were doing a welterweight tournament in our second season, and before I could talk about who was fighting, Jimmy gave me a breakdown of every fighter in the tournament, who he thought was the favorite, and who I should keep my eye on. It was evident then this was the guy we needed, and the rest is history.â€
Bellator kicks off its 10th season later this month with Bellator 110 on Spike TV.
