Jimmy Smith

With a wealth of enthusiasm and even a fair share of first hand experience, Jimmy Smith was a prominent name in MMA broadcasting. Born in Fresno, California in 1977, Smith was a member of his high school wrestling team. He wanted to continue with the sport, but discovered that his college, UCLA, did not have a wrestling team. Smith and several other former wrestlers had begun informally practicing at the school's recreation center when he met a Brazilian jiu-jitsu trainer and took an interest in the martial art. Soon, Smith was introduced to the world of mixed martial arts. Not long after graduating, he tried competing in the area himself, fighting in six unsanctioned matches total. He switched gears in 2007 however, after a chance audition to host an MMA reality series called "Fight Quest" (DCI, 2007-09) thrust him out of the ring and in front of the camera. The job brought Smith to the attention of producers for the mixed martial arts organization Bellator, which signed him to provide commentary for "Bellator Fighting Championships" (ESPN, 2009-) in ESPN. He would go on to host "Bellator MMA Live" (Spike TV, 2013-) for several years, before switching to UFC in 2018, signing on to host the organization's Fox and pay-per-view events.