Kevin Kay, the TV executive who helped popularize UFC and elevated the Bellator brand, will step down at Viacom after 20 years with the media conglomerate.

Kay’s departure comes amid a corporate restructuring ordered by Viacom CEO Bob Bakish, who has appointed Comedy Central President Kent Alterman to take over the Paramount Network, Bellator’s longtime broadcast partner.

The news comes via a memo from Bakish obtained by the Hollywood Reporter that details the transition plans. A Bellator official declined comment on the restructuring when contacted today by MMAjunkie.

Bakish chose Kay to run the Paramount Network in February 2017 after it was rebranded from Spike, the UFC’s first long-term broadcast partner. The Viacom-owned Bellator was tabbed as a marquee property of the new channel, and under new chief Scott Coker, the promotion underwent a period of aggressive domestic and international expansion.

Under a new strategy of promoting “tentpole” fights, Bellator broadcasts managed to crack 1 million-plus viewers on multiple occasions. This year, however, ratings showed a distinct downward trend, with several events falling under 300,000 viewers. Coker urged patience as the network found its footing. But the promotion recently diversified its reach by signing a nine-figure deal with streaming service DAZN.

The weight of Kay’s departure is yet to be known for Bellator, which undoubtedly benefited from his passion for the sport of MMA. The executive who green-lit “The Ultimate Fighter” was an instrumental force in bringing MMA into the mainstream and helped save the UFC from financial catastrophe.

Under the new Viacom structure, Paramount Network will be part of a group that includes Comedy Central and TV Land. Kay will remain on a Paramount as Alterman transitions into his role.

“Kevin is a passionate storyteller whose legacy at Viacom spans more than two decades and seven networks, and I’m thankful to him and his team for their many contributions,” Bakish wrote in the memo. “At Nickelodeon, Kevin left his mark by overseeing a string of hits that included All That, Kenan & Kel and The Adventures of Pete & Pete — as well as developing and greenlighting SpongeBob SquarePants. And during his tenure at Spike, he oversaw the launch of fan-favorites like The Ultimate Fighter, Lip Sync Battle, Bar Rescue and Ink Master, as well as the expansion of Bellator.

Most recently, he and his team undertook the huge task of launching Paramount Network. Thanks to their hard work, Paramount Network quickly established itself as a home for premium content, achieving early critical and ratings success with the high-quality, cinematic original series Waco and Yellowstone — the latter of which is now the second-most-watched cable series of 2018. All of this while also ensuring that TV Land and CMT continue to be dominant forces in the very important audiences they reach.”

For more on Bellator’s upcoming schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.