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Jon Anik On UFC’s P4P Debate: ‘It Is Islam Makhachev Every Day Of The Week’

UFC commentator Jon Anik believes Islam Makhachev is right to hold the pound-for-pound throne over fellow champions like Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, and Ilia Topuria. Not many topics have received the kind of discourse and scrutiny as the P4P debate in 2024, largely down to UFC CEO Dana White’s fury at the current order. Leading […]

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UFC commentator Jon Anik believes Islam Makhachev is right to hold the pound-for-pound throne over fellow champions like Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, and Ilia Topuria.

Not many topics have received the kind of discourse and scrutiny as the P4P debate in 2024, largely down to UFC CEO Dana White’s fury at the current order.

Leading the way is lightweight kingpin Makhachev, who followed a pair of title defenses against Alexander Volkanovski in 2023 by stalling the late-career championship ambitions of Dustin Poirier this past June.

For White, that’s ludicrous. His view is that heavyweight titleholder Jones is the clear and obvious choice, despite not yet defending his gold in the 19 months since his crowning and competing just once since February 2020.

Before getting back to top spot, “Bones” also has to climb above Alex Pereira. After reeling off three straight title defenses in 2024, the light heavyweight champ occupies the number two position.

And most recently, Topuria staked his claim and received the nods from some in the community after completing a memorable year of activity with a featherweight defense against Max Holloway. Like he did Alexander Volkanovski this past February, “El Matador” floored “Blessed” with his brutal power, putting himself in a good position to collect the Fighter of the Year accolades.

During a recent interview with MMA reporter Kevin Iole, Anik assessed the current standings, explaining why he gives the clear advantage to Makhachev over Topuria when it comes to P4P.

He also detailed why he doesn’t consider Jones worthy of top spot at this moment in time (cover your eyes, Dana).

“I am but one man with one opinion. … Ilia Topuria’s accomplishments this year are undeniable. To do what he did to Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway successively, relatively close or in their fighting primes, is otherworldly. But for me, KI, Islam Makhachev’s ability to find that takedown and find that submission in his last title defense against Dustin Poirier is about as good as it gets, right?

“And he was the guy (pound-for-pound number one) going in, so I don’t know that he loses that perch for me. I have always put 155 pounds on a pedestal. I do believe 155 pounds is the deepest division,” Anik continued. “For me, it is Islam Makhachev every day of the week. Jon Jones is in the conversation, but inactivity I think largely takes him out of the discourse.”

Makhachev has held the crown ever since usurping Jones weeks after his knockout win over Volkanovski in October 2023.

While Jones has the chance to rise again with a victory over Stipe Miocic next weekend, should the Dagestani get the better of Arman Tsarukyan in their expected title clash next January, “Bones” may have to settle for silver — or perhaps bronze if Alex Pereira holds his position.

Read More: Former UFC Champ Argues Leon Edwards Should Fight Shavkat Rakhmonov At UFC 310: ‘Rematch Against Belal Muhammad…’

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Julianna Peña Urges Fans To Rewatch UFC 307 Fight Without ‘Garbage’ Commentary

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña believes commentary “bias” has played a part in the negative reaction to her title win earlier this month. Peña returned to the mountaintop at 135 pounds in the co-main event of the UFC 307 pay-per-view in Salt Lake City, outpointing longtime rival Raquel Pennington on two of the three […]

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UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña believes commentary “bias” has played a part in the negative reaction to her title win earlier this month.

Peña returned to the mountaintop at 135 pounds in the co-main event of the UFC 307 pay-per-view in Salt Lake City, outpointing longtime rival Raquel Pennington on two of the three judges’ scorecards.

The result, which came over two years on from “The Venezuelan Vixen’s” first reign being brought to an end by Amanda Nunes, caused considerable debate.

On MMA Decisions, 25 out of 27 media members scored the five-round contest in favor of Pennington. That sentiment was also shared by 78 percent of over 500 fan scorecards that were submitted.

The newly crowned queen has been left bemused by the post-fight ‘robbery’ narratives, and she seemingly placed blame on the commentary team during an appearance on the debut episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned.

Peña branded the commentary “garbage” while reiterating the reasons why she’s confident that four of the five rounds were won by her.

“When you throw less and land more, when you’re giving the other girl a bloody nose and a goose egg on her head, when you’re taking her down, when you’re frickin’ making her eyes get as big as plates because you’re hitting her so hard and rocking her sh*t…you can’t tell me that I lost the fight,” Peña said. “I won that fight, and I’m so sick of all these people trying to like, make me feel like I didn’t win.

“Rewatch the fight without all the commentary bias and you will see clearly that I won that fight,” Peña continued. “Obviously all of the frickin’ MMA media hates my guts. … Every single one of them scored it against me. They need to go rewatch it without all that frickin’ garbage commentary and look at the significant strikes. I threw less and I landed more and they were harder shots. Rewatch it, please!”

Alongside the controversy regarding the scoring, the other major topic to emerge from Peña’s title win is the next step in the bantamweight division.

While Kayla Harrison’s victory over Ketlen Vieira on the UFC 307 card has left her as the consensus number one contender, “The Venezuelan Vixen” seemingly has other plans, frequently looking to entice Amanda Nunes back to complete their trilogy instead.

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Read More: Julianna Peña Targets UFC International Fight Week 2025 For First Title Defense

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Jon Anik Breaks Down the UFC Middleweight Division and What’s Next For It’s Top 3 Contenders

Jon Anik thinks the UFC’s middleweight division has never been stronger. As it stands, there are a slew of…

Jon Anik thinks the UFC’s middleweight division has never been stronger.

As it stands, there are a slew of potential title challengers at 185, namely Sean Strickland, Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, Khamzat Chimaev, and Nassourdine Imavov. The question of who’s next for reigning titleholder Dricus Du Plessis is by no means an easy one, but for the longtime play-by-play man, Strickland makes the most sense.

Not just because he sits as the division’s top-ranked contender, but because he’s earned the rematch by being a company man through and through.

“I don’t think it’s hyperbolic or overstating it to suggest that the middleweight division, right now, has never been stronger,” Anik told The Schmo. “Right? Sean Strickland’s a worthy number-one contender. Nassourdine Imavov, on and on it could go!”

He continued, “In a straight meritocracy, I’m on record as promoting Sean Strickland because he has repeatedly stepped up for the promotion. Let us not forget he put his number four ranking on the line against Alex Pereira when nobody wanted to fight ‘Poatan.’ He has stepped into main events against guys, he’s stepped into a five round fight against Paulo Costa. And he fought Dricus Du Plessis toe-to-toe. So in a straight meritocracy, if I’m the promoter, I lean Strickland.”

Jon Anik thinks ‘Borz’ could be next for izzy

Even though UFC CEO Dana White has already promised Strickland his rematch with Du Plessis, it’s not quite that simple. Later this month, we’ve got a big matchup between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev that could very well produce the next middleweight title challenger.

Then there’s Israel Adesanya who, despite having lost back-to-back bouts, is always right there in the title picture and could step in at a moment’s notice.

Asked what’s next for ‘The Last Stylebender,’ Anik suggested that a clash with Chimaev could be his ticket back to the title, but that all depends on how things play out between ‘Borz’ and Whittaker in Abu Dhabi on October 26.

“I think if you’re Izzy, you just lay back in the cut and maybe it’s Khamzat. I mean that’s a fight that I think would have some appeal but Khamzat could be in a championship setting.”

Jon Anik Shares Best Potential Matchups For Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland & Dricus Du Plessis

The UFC middleweight division has changed a lot in the last couple of years. The turmoil that started after Anderson Silva finally lost the belt ended with Israel Adesanya unifying the title and defending it five times. Alex Pereira then fired through the ranks to take out Izzy at UFC 281 but “The Last Stylebender” […]

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Alex Pereira then fired through the ranks to take out Izzy at UFC 281 but “The Last Stylebender” reclaimed his belt at UFC 287 with one of the most iconic knockouts of all time.

Just when it seemed like Adesanya would be champion for at least a couple more years, Sean Strickland pulled off one of the biggest upsets of all time to become champ. He then lost the belt to Dricus Du Plessis, who’s already defended it once against Adesanya.

Amidst the unusual turbulence at the top ranks, here’s how the UFC middleweight division should operate according to Jon Anik…

Jon Anik Backs Sean Strickland As Next UFC Middleweight Title Contender While Suggesting Israel Adesanya vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Anik claimed the UFC middleweight division to be stronger than ever during an interview on the official The Schmo YouTube channel. When asked about who should fight for the title next, the play-by-play commentator named Strickland.

“I don’t think it’s hyperbolic or overstating it to suggest that the middleweight division, right now, has never been stronger. Right? Sean Strickland’s a worthy number-one contender. Nassourdine Imavov, on and on it could go!”

Anik backed his choice by recalling the times Strickland has stepped up for the UFC and citing his recent win over Paulo Costa and the extremely close decision loss to Dricus Du Plessis, the current champ. He also credited the former UFC middleweight kingpin for risking his top 5 ranking against Pereira in 2022.

“Well, in a straight meritocracy, I’m on record as promoting Sean Strickland because he has repeatedly stepped up for the promotion. Let us not forget he put his number four ranking on the line against Alex Pereira when nobody wanted to fight Poatan. He has stepped into main events against guys, he’s stepped into a five round fight against Paulo Costa. And he fought Dricus Du Plessis toe-to-toe. So in a straight meritocracy, if I’m the promoter, I lean Strickland.”

Although he’s no longer the champ, Adesanya is still likely the biggest draw in the division. So, when asked about the best matchup for his return, Anik named Chimaev who’s fighting Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. With that match, the former champ should be able to make the most of his star power and help elevate Chimaev’s popularity as well.

“I think if you’re Izzy, you just lay back in the cut and maybe it’s Khamzat. I mean that’s a fight that I think would have some appeal but Khamzat could be in a championship setting.”

Anik acknowledged that the match between Whittaker and Chimaev is bound to shake things up. The winner will likely have an undeniable claim to a title shot and it’ll be interesting to see whether Strickland will be overlooked in the process.

READ MORE: Former UFC Champ Highlights ‘Weirdest Thing’ About Fighting Alex Pereira

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Sean O’Malley’s Loss to Merab Dvalishvili Comes with a ‘Silver Lining’

Jon Anik sees a silver lining in Sean O’Malley’s loss to Merab Dvalishvili. Returning to the Octagon at UFC…

Jon Anik sees a silver lining in Sean O’Malley’s loss to Merab Dvalishvili.

Returning to the Octagon at UFC 306 for his second title defense of 2024, ‘Sugar’ delivered a lackluster showing that saw his explosive offense stifled by the grapple-heavyweight attack of Dvalishvili through five rounds. In the end, ‘The Machine’ saw his hand raised, taking the bantamweight title back home to Georgia via a dominant unanimous decision.

In the aftermath, O’Malley revealed that he suffered a torn labrum 10 weeks out from fight night, though he never disclosed the injury to the promotion. Scheduled to undergo surgery in early October, O’Malley is expected to be out of action for 6-8 months at a minimum.

Speaking with MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, the UFC’s chief play-by-play man offered his interesting take on O’Malley’s loss, suggesting that it could be for the best on the promotion’s side of things.

Sean O'Malley's Loss to Merab Dvalishvili Comes with a 'Silver Lining' 3

“I think the good news if you’re looking for a silver lining for the UFC is that had Sean won this fight, maybe this hip injury would have had to be repaired anyway, right?” Anik said. “And then you wonder if you need an interim champion. So I think right now, your new champion is pretty durable and willing to take on all challengers.

And a murderers’ row, of course, awaits Sean O’Malley with the Cory Sandhagens of all the world and everybody else. There are a lot of dream-type matchups at ’35 for fight fans, right? Even Sean O’Malley and Dominick Cruz makes some semblance of sense right now. So there’s a lot of different fights at ’35 that make a lot of sense” (h/t MMA News).

Merab vs. Umar Up next as Sean O’Malley takes time to heal up

Though it’ll be a while until we see O’Malley back inside the Octagon, Merab Dvalishvili is already staring down the barrel of his first title defense.

All signs currently point toward ‘The Machine’ putting his newly-won bantamweight belt on the line against No. 2 ranked contender Umar Nurmagomedov not long after our calendars flip over to 2025 — assuming the Dagestani is willing to wait that long.

UFC Commentator Highlights Julianna Peña’s Key Quality That Will Serve Her Well At UFC 307

Julianna Peña is set to return at UFC 307 after being away from competition for nearly two years. The last time that she stepped inside the Octagon, it was as the women’s bantamweight champion. Though she came up short on that night in a rematch with Amanda Nunes at UFC 277, her comeback will see […]

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Julianna Peña is set to return at UFC 307 after being away from competition for nearly two years.

The last time that she stepped inside the Octagon, it was as the women’s bantamweight champion.

Though she came up short on that night in a rematch with Amanda Nunes at UFC 277, her comeback will see her look to reclaim the gold on October 5.

To do so, Peña will need to answer some questions about whether her time away and injuries will play a factor in her attempt to dethrone Raquel Pennington in Salt Lake City.

Jon Anik Says That Juliana Peña’s Meanness Will Help Her Overcome Ring Rust At UFC 307

UFC commentator Jon Anik expressed in a recent interview with Middle Easy that he isn’t concerned about Peña’s time away from the Octagon heading into this fight.

Though he did say that ring rust can be a factor depending on the fighter in question, he believes that the challenger is not someone that it will phase.

Anik referenced how if you listen to how the former champion’s coaches and teammates speak about her, they will immediately make reference to her aggressive mindset when she’s in the cage.

With this in mind, he doesn’t think that we will see anything less than the very best that Peña has to offer, come October 5.

“It’s amazing to listen to Juliana Peña’s coaches, to a man, talk about her relative meanness and nastiness. They can’t even get to the skills because Rick Little and Mike Valley both are just like dude, meanest man or woman in the gym, you know what I mean? So I don’t worry about her, I just think she’s sort of one of these ultimate competitors. The layoffs not ideal, the injury history is not ideal and Raquel Pennington just knows how to win fights.”

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