Mauro Ranallo expands his broadcasting portfolio on ‘Inside MMA’

Television’s most energetic sports broadcaster has added one more assignment.

Showtime’s boxing play-by-play man and WWE’s “Smackdown” voice Mauro Ranallo will be the host of AXS TV’s “Inside MMA” beginning Friday night.

Los Angeles’ Ranallo will reunite with his former broadcasting partner, Bas Rutten, a former UFC heavyweight champion who worked with Ranallo calling Pride Fighting Championship matches in Japan. Ranallo replaces Kenny Rice, who will remain on “Inside MMA” as a special correspondent.

“Mauro and I kind of split up around 2005, but he kept going into the martial arts and I kept going into the martial arts and everything has now come full circle back together and MMA is as big as it’s ever been and I cannot wait to start,” Rutten said.

Ranallo became the lead announcer on “Smackdown” in January.

“As an announcer, I have nothing but respect for the fighters and I want to make sure I do my job to let the people know who these courageous warriors are, because they are putting their lives on the line for our entertainment and there’s something to be said about that,” Ranallo told the Los Angeles Times.

“I live 20 minutes away from Bas and we are both here in Los Angeles, and given the opportunity to unite and continue to cover the sport we all love was something that made sense for everyone,” Ranallo said.

Ranallo previously provided commentary for Strikeforce on Showtime and he also works Glory kickboxing events.

The Canadian has more than 30 years of experience covering combat sports. He has witnessed MMA’s growth since its inception (he marvels at the mainstream popularity it’s enjoying), while also being tied to boxing’s resurgence.

“From being involved in both, MMA is definitely the much younger sport, and yet, it is a star-driven business and it’s about the stars, putting together the best fights,” Ranallo said.

He laments how boxing falls short of capturing greater audiences because it “has done itself a disservice over the years by fighters refusing to fight each other and with the politics ... [between rival] promoters and the networks and all of the different sanctioning bodies.”

“The UFC is obviously popular, but I don’t see any MMA fight doing the 4.6 million buys that the Mayweather versus Pacquiao fight did,” he said.

“I love both sports and I see the distinct differences between each one and I also know there is a huge crossover between the sports, but boxing, if you put together the right ingredients and put together the right matchups, you’re going to get the eyeballs. I do believe both can exist if both do the right thing.”

Boxing would be helped, Ranallo proposed, if it consolidated its divisions like the UFC does, having only one belt at stake.

“I know it won’t happen ... one champion per weight class,” Ranallo said. Boxer “Ray Mancini said it best, ‘How many worlds are there anyway? There’s only one world.’ I get why there are multiple sanctioning bodies and they all want their sanctioning fees and what-not, [but] I would make it so the best have to fight the best. If people are interested in certain people getting it on in the ring, people should be able to see that.”

But back to MMA...

“Inside MMA” airs on AXS TV on Friday at 9:30 p.m. Pacific time, following the cable network’s weekly live MMA and Muay Thai broadcasts.

Twitter: @alexsolano3676