Longtime play-by-play man Mike Goldberg was shitcanned by UFC back in late 2016, so you would expect him to be a little bitter over the separation. Especially when the new owners destroyed a family that took 15 years to build.
But sour grapes are not responsible for the promotion’s awful television ratings, which may be a key factor in the ongoing negotiations for a new broadcast home. The way Goldberg sees it, the current product is just not as exciting as it could be.
From his conversation on The MMA Hour:
“Those guy are my friends, but at the end of the day it’s competition. We’re all trying to get ratings and Bellator’s ratings are going up — we know what’s happening on the other side. I just want to do what I do, so do I see things that make me go, ‘Wow, that was really interesting. That was really not as exciting as it could be.’ I’d like to remind people that my blooper real is maybe 15 or 20 minutes long, but I do watch it and I see the difference.”
He might be the only one watching it based on these numbers.
Goldberg did not stay unemployed for long, getting scooped up by Bellator MMA, which currently airs on Paramount Network. In a weird set of circumstances, UFC was able to get Jimmy Smith, who rose to fame in the old Spike TV booth.
Currently behind the table for UFC pay-per-view (PPV) events are Jon Anik and Joe Rogan, with a third voice floating in and out, depending on the location of the card. As for Bellator, Goldberg is paired off with a variety of color analysts, like this guy and this guy.
Anyone see the “difference” Goldberg is talking about?
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