Jimmy Smith, the former Bellator and UFC analyst, will be replacing Adnan Virk as the new voice of Monday Night Raw starting with next week’s episode.
The 43-year-old spent seven years doing analyst work for Bellator before joining the UFC for a short period. He also hosted American Ninja Warrior for NBC and provided commentary for boxing in the past. This will be his first time doing commentary for a professional wrestling show and will be thrown right into the fire with a three-hour Raw.
“Apparently WWE liked my work so far. I know I’m stepping into a new world but know I’ll do everything I can to honor the athletes and fans. Watch Monday and judge my work for yourself,” Smith wrote in a tweet.
Dave Meltzer of the Observer adds that Smith has been training a lot with Michael Cole over the past several weeks in preparation for a possible spot. Smith was part of the pre-show panel at Takeover: Stand & Deliver.
The former MMA fighter also hosts UFC Fight Camp for ESPN International and has his own show Unlocking The Cage on SiriusXM.
Adnan Virk was removed from his role as lead Raw commentator this week, surviving less than two months on the job.
