Bellator is getting ready to host their biggest event in company history on June 24th, a pay per view event at Madison Square Garden. The fight card is headlined by Chael Sonnen versus Wanderlei Silva as well as Fedor Emelianenko. All three fighters were once top tier talents in the UFC who are still big names in the world of MMA. Bellator announced today that they will be adding even more familiar names to their pay per view telecast.
The company announced today that they have signed both Mike Goldberg and Mauro Ranallo to be their commentary team for the event. News that excites a lot of MMA fans because both Goldberg and Ranallo have a rich history of being apart of some of the sport’s biggest moments.
Mike Goldberg was the lead UFC commentator for nearly two decades. His contract was not renewed by the UFC’s new ownership at the end of 2016, much to the disappointment of fans. He formed a longtime partnership with commentary partner Joe Rogan and formed the most famous commentator duo in MMA history.
Mauro Ranallo has had a successful career in various forms of combat sports. He is currently the lead commentator for Showtime boxing. He also was the lead voice for WWE’s Smackdown show. He was also the lead voice for Strikeforce.
“Mike Goldberg and Mauro Ranallo are two of the best in our business and I couldn’t be happier about them joining the Bellator family,” said Bellator CEO Scott Coker in a statement. “In addition to June 24, we look forward to working together to make future Spike broadcasts even more exciting for our fans as we add further depth to an already-exceptional broadcast team.
It is unclear just how both men will be utilized because both are known for their play-by-play commentary. In a press release, the company simply noted the duo would join longtime color commentator Jimmy Smith, Jenn Brown, and Chael Sonnen on the broadcast team.
Bellator is currently second fiddle to the UFC in terms of popularity. They hope that the addition Goldberg and Ranallo, both very familiar voices in the world of combat sports, will draw even more attention to their upcoming pay per view event and beyond.
Spike SVP of Sports and Specials Jon Slusser said regarding the addition of Goldberg and Ranallo, “The addition of highly-regarded announcers Mauro and Mike to our fantastic lineup of broadcasters, and our first-rate production led by Scott Fishman, further demonstrates our commitment MMA fans and expanding the global Bellator brand.” Spike is the television home of Bellator.
The news of Bellator hiring Goldberg and Ranallo for their commentary comes one day after Sean Grande, the company’s play-by-play announcer for the past two years, revealed he was no longer continuing in that capacity.
Featured Image via Esther Lin/MMA Fighting
