Mike Goldberg no longer part of Bellator MMA broadcast team

Scott Coker revealed a change to Bellator MMA’s commentary lineup.

The Bellator MMA on Showtime era is underway, but there’s a familiar name who won’t be a part of it.

Bellator president Scott Coker told the New York Post’s Scott Fontana that veteran play-by-play voice Mike Goldberg will not be a part of the Showtime team.

“Mike Goldberg is not going to be part of the mix moving forward,” Coker said. “But I think we had a great run with Mike, and the door’s always going to be open.”

The 56-year-old Goldberg is best known for nearly 20 years as the lead commentator on UFC events, culminating in his farewell at UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey in 2016. He was let go by the promotion following the sale from Zuffa to Endeavor, but he was scooped up shortly thereafter by Bellator MMA.

Mauro Ranallo, Josh Thomson, and Big John McCarthy will be the trio heard on Showtime broadcasts. For Ranallo he is doubling up his Showtime duties, as he’s also the blow-by-blow commentator on most of the network’s boxing broadcasts.

Michael C. Williams also remains as the in-cage announcer, a position he’s held for just over 10 years.

Also of note is the fact that Showtime graphics have been incorporated into Bellator broadcasts. If you’ve kept tabs on the Bellator 255 prelims you’ll notice that the score clock is stylized quite similarly to Showtime boxing telecasts.

Getting back to Goldberg, he’s a free agent and we’ll see if any promotion or network picks him up for MMA assignments.