Jimmy Smith has been a part of the UFC broadcast team for the majority of 2018, but won’t be the promotion in 2019.
The former Bellator MMA color commentator has announced that the UFC decided not to re-sign him.
That announcement was made by Smith through a series of tweets 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. I just want to thank everyone at the promotion who made me feel welcome and appreciate at every single show.
— Jimmy Smith (@jimmysmithmma) January 1, 2019
I tried my utmost to show the fighters the respect they deserved for giving their lives to this sport and hope they felt that when they heard what I had to say. The UFC fans were truly amazing and I wish I could thank each and every one of you for your support and
— Jimmy Smith (@jimmysmithmma) January 1, 2019
even your criticism because it made me strive to be better. Wishing everyone a great 2019 and on to the next fight...Adios Amigos
— Jimmy Smith (@jimmysmithmma) January 1, 2019
It would appear that the move to not re-sign Smith was due to the UFC wanting to use former and current fighters for broadcasting roles going forward, which is according to Luke Thomas of MMA Fighting.
