There hasn’t been too much action in the cage yet in 2018, but it’s been a wild year for mixed martial arts broadcast teams.
First, Bellator MMA added referee “Big” John McCarthy, then the UFC signed former Bellator staple Jimmy Smith, and on Tuesday Bellator made another move by announcing NFL insider Jay Glazer has been added to the team.
Glazer will serve as host on the broadcast desk for Bellator events, starting with Saturday night’s Bellator 192 event that features a welterweight tile fight between champion Douglas Lima and Canadian Rory MacDonald plus an anticipated matchup between former UFC stars Chael Sonnen and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
The 48-year-old, although known mostly for his NFL reporting with FOX Sports, is a longtime supporter of MMA. He owns the Unbreakable Performance Center in West Hollywood and has run MMA training programs that many professional athletes, including NFL superstars Aaron Rodgers, Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr., have used as part of their off-season training regimen.
“I have always had a tremendous passion for MMA, where the relationships you develop are unlike any other sport,” Glazer said in a press release. “And I am very fortunate to be able to continue these relationships with an incredible organization like Bellator. I’ve been friends with Scott for many years, and am ecstatic that he brought me into the Bellator family.”
Glazer, who has worked several FOX Sports UFC events in the past, will continue to be a part of NFL on FOX broadcasts. He joins a Bellator broadcast team that includes Mike Goldberg and Mauro Ranallo (play-by-play), McCarthy and Sonnen (colour commentary), plus on-site reporter Jenn Brown.
“I’m excited to welcome Jay Glazer to the Bellator family,” Bellator president Scott Coker said. “Jay’s knowledge and experience in sports television speaks for itself and he will be a great addition to our incredible broadcast team. As Bellator moves to Paramount Network (formerly Spike), I look forward to having him involved with some of the biggest fights of the year.”
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