Bellator Adds Mike Goldberg, Mauro Ranallo for Bellator NYC Pay-Per-View Event

Longtime UFC announcer Mike Goldberg's schedule is open these days. And former WWE, Pride FC and EliteXC announcer Mauro Ranallo? Well, his is packed, but he's nothing if not a picture of work ethic.

With that in mind, and with the Bellator NYC pay-per-view set to take place on June 24, Bellator MMA has added both men to the commentary desk for the event. The promotion announced the news via Twitter:

While this may seem like a standard addition of two familiar voices, there are many interesting stories converging with the signings.

Despite nearly 20 years with the promotion, the UFC unceremoniously released Goldberg following the expiration of his contract last December.

While this wasn't necessarily surprising, many fighters and fans alike panned the move, as the promotion did nothing to commemorate, or even acknowledge, the commentator's departure, which added more fuel to a building resistance against the changes made after the company was purchased by WME-IMG for over $4 billion. This will be his first broadcast gig since his final UFC show, UFC 207.

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Ranallo, meanwhile, is steadily re-establishing himself as a leading voice in MMA following an ugly split from WWE earlier this year that sparked industry-wide discussion about the long history of bullying allegations surrounding wrestling personality John "Bradshaw" Layfield. He returned to the desk in April with Japanese MMA organization Rizin FF and followed that up by calling the Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko boxing match.

How Bellator will utilize both me remains a mystery. While Bellator could make use of a three-man booth that includes staple color commentator Jimmy Smith, the plan may be to have Ranallo helm the announce desk, with Goldberg doing play-by-play for the fights, according to MMA journalist Josh Gross:

Additionally, it is unclear whether this is the start of long-term relationships between the two announcers and Bellator and what sort of schedule either man will work if so.

Either way, this is the latest example of the hard push Bellator is putting into this pay-per-view. Expect more news on the show, and a definitive answer to how Bellator will utilize both men, in the coming days.