Mike Goldberg Is No Longer Working With Bellator
After four years with the promotion, Mike Goldberg will no longer be the voice of Bellator MMA after an announcement by Bellator president Scott Coker on Friday.
In an interview with The New York Post, Coker spoke about many changes that were coming to the promotion, including the release of their lead play-by-play broadcaster.
“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.”
This news coincidentally comes just before Bellator’s upcoming launch on Showtime at Bellator 256 on Friday. Goldberg made his broadcasting debut with the company in 2017 after a long tenure with the UFC.
On top of his experience covering combat sports, Goldberg has had brief stints with the NHL, NFL and NBA over his illustrious broadcasting career.
Coker also said he intends on bringing more current fighters to the broadcast booth going forward, which the promotion did with featherweight AJ McKee on Friday night for Bellator 255. In addition to the news on Goldberg, Coker announced that ring announcer Michael C. Williams will continue his role with the broadcast team as Bellator looks to the future.
The trio of Mauro Ranallo, Josh Thomson and John McCarthy will lead the broadcasts beginning on Friday. Ranallo is also one of the premier voices for Showtime’s boxing cards.
It is unclear what is next for the 56-year-old Goldberg. The good news, if he wants to continue play-by-play work, there are a lot more opportunities available now than when he first began his run with the UFC in 1997. This includes potential fits with ONE Championship, PFL and Legacy among others.
What are your thoughts on Bellator parting ways with lead broadcaster Mike Goldberg? What do you think is next for one of the main voices of the octagon?
