Former Bellator Color Commentator Jimmy Smith Joins the UFC

Jimmy Smith is officially coming to the UFC.

The veteran color commentator who just recently split with Bellator MMA has been signed to join the UFC broadcast team starting in 2018.

Smith will be working as a color commentator with the UFC as well as working as an in studio analyst for pay-per-view broadcasts as well as cards on FOX and FS1.

“I am honored to join the world’s premier combat sports brand in 2018,” Smith said in a statement. “It is a privilege to call fights for a living and I can’t wait to join the tremendous UFC broadcast team to call the best fights in the world.

“To the UFC fans, I am thrilled to join you for this wild ride. See you all very soon!”  

It didn’t take the UFC long to snap up Smith after he left Bellator MMA following a relationship with that promotion that stretched back several years. Now Smith joins a broadcast team that includes play-by-play man Jon Anik as well as several color commentators including Joe Rogan, Daniel Cormier, Paul Felder and Dominick Cruz.

There’s no word yet when Smith will make his broadcast debut but there have been rumors that he may appear as early as UFC 220: Miocic vs. Ngannou next week.