Jimmy Smith has gone to the other side of the street. The former Bellator commentator has been added to the broadcast team of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for a variety of different roles on air, according to the promotion's press release.
That includes FOX Sports and PPV events, as well as pre-fight programming.
Honored to be a part of the @ufc and getting to call the biggest fights in the world!! Can't wait to get to know everyone there and show how hard I can work!!
— Jimmy Smith (@jimmysmithmma) January 12, 2018
"I am honored to join the world's premier combat sports brand in 2018. It's 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. For UFC fans, I am thrilled to join you for this wild ride. See you very soon!"
A date for his debut with the promotion has not yet been set. UFC and Bellator exchanged commentators in recent months. Veteran commentator Mike Goldberg switched teams last June, while Smith separated from the Viacom-owned promotion last month.
Bellator announced Smith's departure at the end of last month, stating that the separation was amicable. Smith backed up that account and said the two sides could not come to an agreement on a new contract after an extended negotiation period.
"They made an honest effort to retain me. They really did. They just - they didn't make me an offer that was worth coming back for. That was the deal."