FC Gym Stories: Jimmy Smith Gets Rampage'd
FC Gym Stories: Jimmy Smith Gets Rampage'd
By Tony ReidIn this installment of Gym Stories, we caught up with Jimmy Smith. Best known as the former host of The History Channel's "Fight Quest," Smith n
By Tony Reid
In this installment of Gym Stories, we caught up with Jimmy Smith. Best known as the former host of The History Channel's "Fight Quest," Smith now works as the color commentator for Bellator MMA.
With well over 100 Bellator fight cards under his black belt, he's considered one of the most knowledgeable and respected voices in the game. But what many may not be aware of is Smith's extensive training in various martial arts. Smith, who owns a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, enjoyed a successful career inside the cage with a 6-1 record.
The Team Punishment fighter-turned-announcer spent time in the gym and on the mats with some of the greatest and most iconic fighters of all time.
Including Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
Smith shared a story from his first day at the Tito Ortiz-led gym: "My first day of training--literally--I signed up, got on the mat for the first time, and they introduced me to this guy. I said, 'Hi my name is Jimmy.' He said his was Rampage.
"I thought I misunderstood him. I thought, 'This can't be his name.' We rolled, and I knew a couple of foot locks. I saw the size of Rampage's arms, and I thought I wasn't going to be able to armbar him, so I just foot-locked him over and over again.
"That was all I knew how to do. After the fifth or sixth, I went for an armbar and he picked me up and Arona-ed me. He picked me up to the ceiling and slammed me, dropped me to the ground. He outweighed me by 40 or 50 pounds. Fabiano ran over and chewed him out, and Rampage turned to me and said, 'We're cool, right?' I said, 'Sure, we're cool.' That's how we know each other, and we trained quite a bit.
"Rampage is still one of those guys," Smith continued. "He transcends the sport. My mom knows who Rampage is. People that don't follow the sport know who Rampage is. People in our MMA bubble don't realize how amazing, how rare and how valuable that is. The guy working at 7-11 knows Rampage. People walking down the street know who Rampage is. That charisma, that personality; man, that is gold, and Rampage still has it."
In this installment of Gym Stories, we caught up with Jimmy Smith. Best known as the former host of The History Channel's "Fight Quest," Smith now works as the color commentator for Bellator MMA.
With well over 100 Bellator fight cards under his black belt, he's considered one of the most knowledgeable and respected voices in the game. But what many may not be aware of is Smith's extensive training in various martial arts. Smith, who owns a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, enjoyed a successful career inside the cage with a 6-1 record.
The Team Punishment fighter-turned-announcer spent time in the gym and on the mats with some of the greatest and most iconic fighters of all time.
Including Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
Smith shared a story from his first day at the Tito Ortiz-led gym: "My first day of training--literally--I signed up, got on the mat for the first time, and they introduced me to this guy. I said, 'Hi my name is Jimmy.' He said his was Rampage.
"I thought I misunderstood him. I thought, 'This can't be his name.' We rolled, and I knew a couple of foot locks. I saw the size of Rampage's arms, and I thought I wasn't going to be able to armbar him, so I just foot-locked him over and over again.
"That was all I knew how to do. After the fifth or sixth, I went for an armbar and he picked me up and Arona-ed me. He picked me up to the ceiling and slammed me, dropped me to the ground. He outweighed me by 40 or 50 pounds. Fabiano ran over and chewed him out, and Rampage turned to me and said, 'We're cool, right?' I said, 'Sure, we're cool.' That's how we know each other, and we trained quite a bit.
"Rampage is still one of those guys," Smith continued. "He transcends the sport. My mom knows who Rampage is. People that don't follow the sport know who Rampage is. People in our MMA bubble don't realize how amazing, how rare and how valuable that is. The guy working at 7-11 knows Rampage. People walking down the street know who Rampage is. That charisma, that personality; man, that is gold, and Rampage still has it."