UFC declines to re-sign veteran MMA analyst Jimmy Smith

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Wild

Zi Nazi
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Dec 31, 2014
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MMA fans know Jimmy Smith as one of the longtime voices of Bellator MMA, working as that promotion’s cageside analyst until he parted ways at the end of 2017. The UFC didn’t take long to sign him up to be part of its commentary and studio rotation to begin 2018, but we won’t be hearing Smith on UFC shows in 2019.

ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported news of Smith’s impending departure three weeks ago, and now that 2019 has arrived, Smith has confirmed the news himself on Twitter.

“Now that the New Year has arrived I’m afraid I have to announce that the UFC has declined to re-sign me and my time with the promotion has come to an end,” Smith said. “I just want to thank everyone at the promotion who made me feel welcome and appreciate…


UFC declines to re-sign veteran MMA analyst Jimmy Smith
 

Enock-O-Lypse Now!

Underneath Denver International Airport
Jun 19, 2016
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Jimmy never should have left Bellator - He was becoming their voice for the organization while Bellator was signing big UFC names and building young talent while growing as an organization...

Where does he go now?

Does he try to go back to Bellator?
Does Bellator even want him back now?
 

Robbie Hart

All Biden Voters Are Mindless Sheep
Feb 13, 2015
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Kind of weird as he was very good and wasn’t as cheesy as I thought he was in the bellator post fight cage interviews and any of his bellator work (which I don’t blame on him as he’s not a cheesy type guy)

He fit well with the FUC and I found him to be very knowledgeable and informative and respectable......
 

Grateful Dude

TMMAC Addict
May 30, 2016
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I’m surprised they didn’t want to keep him around. I’ve always thought he is a solid commentator, and he seems to be generally well-liked. But UFC has let good folks go before, so...

He’s like Rogan without TRT/HGH and stimulants like bulletproof coffee and alpha brain lol

Wonder if he goes back to Bellator? Curious to see where he lands.
 

SongExotic2

ATM 3 CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. #FREECAIN
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Jan 16, 2015
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I’m surprised they didn’t want to keep him around. I’ve always thought he is a solid commentator, and he seems to be generally well-liked. But UFC has let good folks go before, so...

He’s like Rogan without TRT/HGH and stimulants like bulletproof coffee and alpha brain lol

Wonder if he goes back to Bellator? Curious to see where he lands.
Who commentates One?
 
Nov 21, 2015
9,140
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MMA fans know Jimmy Smith as one of the longtime voices of Bellator MMA, working as that promotion’s cageside analyst until he parted ways at the end of 2017. The UFC didn’t take long to sign him up to be part of its commentary and studio rotation to begin 2018, but we won’t be hearing Smith on UFC shows in 2019.

ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported news of Smith’s impending departure three weeks ago, and now that 2019 has arrived, Smith has confirmed the news himself on Twitter.

“Now that the New Year has arrived I’m afraid I have to announce that the UFC has declined to re-sign me and my time with the promotion has come to an end,” Smith said. “I just want to thank everyone at the promotion who made me feel welcome and appreciate…


UFC declines to re-sign veteran MMA analyst Jimmy Smith
I don't get this decision at all

Jimmy has been great!
 
Nov 21, 2015
9,140
12,443
I’m surprised they didn’t want to keep him around. I’ve always thought he is a solid commentator, and he seems to be generally well-liked. But UFC has let good folks go before, so...

He’s like Rogan without TRT/HGH and stimulants like bulletproof coffee and alpha brain lol

Wonder if he goes back to Bellator? Curious to see where he lands.
He's damn good and a breath of fresh air from Rogan

How do you hire a guy like Todd Griesham who knows fuck all about MMA
and sounds like a retard when commentating and then let Jimmy go?
 

SuperPig

Enjoy yourselves
Aug 7, 2015
30,979
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Jimmy never should have left Bellator - He was becoming their voice for the organization while Bellator was signing big UFC names and building young talent while growing as an organization...

Where does he go now?

Does he try to go back to Bellator?
Does Bellator even want him back now?
I vaguely remember him saying that Bellator lowballed him when he was negotiating with them at the end of his contract.

He can go to work for the various other promotions or possibly end up working for ESPN directly. Lots of options and hopefully he lands in a great opportunity.
 

Filthy

Iowa Wrestling Champion
Jun 28, 2016
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He's damn good and a breath of fresh air from Rogan

How do you hire a guy like Todd Griesham who knows fuck all about MMA
and sounds like a retard when commentating and then let Jimmy go?
exactly this. Jimmy is a thinking-man's Rogan.
I feel like Joe hasn't evolved enough to appeal to the range of fans, from casual to hardcore, that Jimmy does.
 

Grateful Dude

TMMAC Addict
May 30, 2016
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Wild @Wild

I think I brought it up awhile back....so not trying to harp, but...

I hope y’all can get some more fighter Q/A threads going again someday. Those threads and videos were always fun. Outside of fighters, Q/A threads with dudes like Jimmy, or CutmanMatt @CutmanMatt or ErikMagraken @ErikMagraken would be cool and interesting too.

Any plans to kick those up again in 2019?
 

Wild

Zi Nazi
Admin
Dec 31, 2014
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Wild @Wild

I think I brought it up awhile back....so not trying to harp, but...

I hope y’all can get some more fighter Q/A threads going again someday. Those threads and videos were always fun. Outside of fighters, Q/A threads with dudes like Jimmy, or CutmanMatt @CutmanMatt or ErikMagraken @ErikMagraken would be cool and interesting too.

Any plans to kick those up again in 2019?
Yes, absolutely. Thinking about doing one with Tywan "Speedy" Claxton of Bellator in the near future. Really cool dude who I interact w/ on Twitter & I bet he would be down.
 

Robbie Hart

All Biden Voters Are Mindless Sheep
Feb 13, 2015
49,703
50,709
He's damn good and a breath of fresh air from Rogan

How do you hire a guy like Todd Griesham who knows fuck all about MMA
and sounds like a retard when commentating and then let Jimmy go?
Different specialties, Jimmy was more of a rogan type educating on the action whereas Grisham was a “Goldie” type (I don’t know the technical terms for these guys)
Grisham is to bring the non MMA crowd into the show
Jimmy was really good with the ufc
 

Papi Chingon

Domesticated Hombre
Oct 19, 2015
25,475
32,244
exactly this. Jimmy is a thinking-man's Rogan.
I feel like Joe hasn't evolved enough to appeal to the range of fans, from casual to hardcore, that Jimmy does.
Some lowbrows just love rogan screaming "oh he got rocked," every time a clean shot is landed.
 
Nov 21, 2015
9,140
12,443
Different specialties, Jimmy was more of a rogan type educating on the action whereas Grisham was a “Goldie” type (I don’t know the technical terms for these guys)
Grisham is to bring the non MMA crowd into the show
Jimmy was really good with the ufc
Maybe they let him go cuz DC and Dominick will be taking over more

Still makes no sense though cuz Rogan is leaving and Jimmy was perfect
to take over for him
 

Keung

Banned
Jun 28, 2017
365
374
Why should we , makes very little to bring back a guy who was only here for like three months. Know I don’t have the figures or the tie to look it up but can we agree his contribution far underweigh the little impact he had on the ufc in Germany. Think about it we know joe Rohan and the like but no one knows jimmy. Not one of my friends or family. Bring in bisbing as planned and then we can talk. Until then let’s just wait and see because we don’t have all the information yet. So innocent until proven guiimy or it didn’t happen. Feel what I amean
 

SuperPig

Enjoy yourselves
Aug 7, 2015
30,979
51,737
Didn’t they do this because bispin is looking for that role?
I think they're doing their best to transition to more former fighters in the role. As much as we like Jimmy and realize how good he is, to the casual fan a guy like Bisping or DC/Cruz/etc is always going to be better because they saw them fight.
 
M

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Guest
Different specialties, Jimmy was more of a rogan type educating on the action whereas Grisham was a “Goldie” type (I don’t know the technical terms for these guys)
Goldie/Anik = Play-by-play announcer

Rogan/Jimmy Smith/Fighters like Cormier/Felder/Cruz = Color commentator
 

KWingJitsu

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Nov 15, 2015
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I’m surprised they didn’t want to keep him around. I’ve always thought he is a solid commentator, and he seems to be generally well-liked. But UFC has let good folks go before, so...

He’s like Rogan without TRT/HGH and stimulants like bulletproof coffee and alpha brain lol

Wonder if he goes back to Bellator? Curious to see where he lands.
He's a good guy. Got to meet him when he trained out of the same boxing gym I did in Bellflower.
Slick on the ground, very friendly. He's had a few fights (6? 7?).
Not sure why they would drop him, but they make no sense half the time.
 

Keung

Banned
Jun 28, 2017
365
374
Agreed haulport. Why keep the man. Let him go like ash did butterfry and let bisping bang the mike