Tag: Jon Anik

UFC 300 set to feature its commentary A-team for historic fight card in Las Vegas

UFC 300 set to feature its commentary A-team for historic Pay-Per-View event in Las VegasAs the Ultimate Fighting Championship closes in on its massive UFC 300 card in Las Vegas, broadcasting details regarding…

UFC 300 set to feature its commentary A-team for historic Pay-Per-View event in Las Vegas

As the Ultimate Fighting Championship closes in on its massive UFC 300 card in Las Vegas, broadcasting details regarding the historic event are beginning to emerge.

UFC 300 is scheduled to feature 13 epic fights with 12 current or former world champions set to take center stage — none bigger than Alex Pereira who puts his light heavyweight championship on the line against ex-titleholder Jamahal Hill in the 205-pound headliner.

UFC 300

Being touted as the biggest card in the promotion’s 30+ year history, it should come as no surprise that the UFC is busting out its A-team for the impending broadcast. UFC play-by-play man Jon Anik will be at the helm according to a report from MMA Fighting. Joining him will be longtime color commentator Joe Rogan and UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier.

UFC 300 broadcast team

As expected, the “Veteran Voice of the Octagon” Bruce Buffer will handle fighter walkouts and official announcements. Joining the broadcast will be the UFC’s chief roving reporter, Megan Olivi, handling backstage duties. Former fighter Din Thomas will also be on hand to offer up his unique take on the action from time to time.

At the analyst desk will be three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen and top-10 ranked 205’er Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith. They will be joined by Boxing icon Teddy Atlas to offer their take on the night’s action.

Chael Sonnen will be part of the UFC 300 broadcast

In addition to UFC 300’s light heavyweight title scrap, fans inside T-Mobile Arena and those watching around the world will also see reigning strawweight champion Zhang Weili put her title on the line in an all-Chinese clash with Yan Xiaonan in the evening’s co-main event.

And in a fight appropriately dubbed as “the people’s main event,” BMF titleholder Justin Gaethje puts his bragging rights belt on the line against former 145-pound king Max Holloway.

Gaethje vs. Holloway at UFC 300

The card for UFC 300 is as follows:

UFC 300 Main card (ESPN+ PPV)

UFC 300 Preliminary card (ESPN/ESPN+)

  • Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic
  • Aljamain Sterling vs. Calvin Kattar
  • Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm
  • Sodiq Yusuff vs. Diego Lopes
  • Jalin Turner vs. Renato Moicano
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Jim Miller vs. Bobby Green
  • Cody Garbrandt vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

Jon Anik fully supports Bo Nickal’s spot on the UFC 300 main card: ‘There’s just a different electricity’

Jon Anik fully supports Bo Nickal's spot on the UFC 300 main card: 'There’s just a different electricity'Jon Anik fully supports Bo Nickal’s spot on the UFC 300 main card. Earlier this month, the promotion announced…

Jon Anik fully supports Bo Nickal's spot on the UFC 300 main card: 'There’s just a different electricity'

Jon Anik fully supports Bo Nickal’s spot on the UFC 300 main card.

Earlier this month, the promotion announced its bout order for what is primed to be the biggest card in UFC history. However, fans were quick to notice that Nickal, a fighter with only two appearances inside the Octagon thus far, would feature in the main card opener against Cody Brundage.

Bo Nickal kicks off the UFC 300 main card

Backlash immediately ensued with pundits arguing that Nickal was not deserving of the spot over fighters like former UFC champions Jiri Prochazka and Aljamain Sterling who had been relegated to the preliminary portion of the card — not to mention two-time PFL champ Kayla Harrison who makes her highly anticipated debut against ex-titleholder Holly Holm.

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But for Anik, Bo Nickal is right where he belongs in the coveted main card slot, noting that the promising prospect brings a certain “electricity” to the Octagon that will likely get things off to a roaring start at the promotion’s landmark event on April 13.

“Khamzat Chimaev, I would even throw out there 18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr., Bo Nickal – there’s just a different electricity when it comes to some of these guys,” Anik told MMA Junkie Radio. “You parlay their fight style with the expectation, and the pressure, and the fan intrigue, and I just think Bo Nickal checks a lot of boxes.

“For us, when we get through our pay-per-view open, and we have that exhale moment, when we get to sit down and watch that first fight on pay-per-view with all the masses around the world, that’s a very strategic position on the card. It’s a prime slot. Maybe at times you don’t get as many people as seen on during the featured prelim on ESPN, but they don’t mess around when it comes to that first fight. I can’t necessarily speak to Cody Brundage and the decision to feature him against Bo Nickal” (h/t Yahoo! Sports).

Bo Nickal is a massive favorite going into UFC 300

Thus far, Bo Nickal is a perfect 5-0 in his mixed martial arts career with all of his fights ending in the opening round. It only took him a combined 1:54 to run through back-to-back opponents on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022 before earning his UFC contract. Since then, he’s added two more wins, dispatching Jamie Pickett via an arm triangle choke in his promotional debut before sending Val Woodburn to the shadow realm with a 38-second KO at UFC 290.

Bo Nickal

Currently, Nickal is a massive -2100 favorite on DraftKings, meaning you would have to put $2,100 on the line to win $100. Brundage comes in at a +1100 underdog which would turn a $100 bet into $1,100 — should he pull off the upset.

The bout order for UFC 300 is as follows:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champion Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill – UFC light heavyweight championship
  • Champion Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan – UFC women’s strawweight championship
  • Champion Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway – BMF title fight
  • Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan
  • Cody Brundage vs. Bo Nickal

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic
  • Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm
  • Diego Lopes vs. Sodiq Yusuff
  • Renato Moicano vs. Jalin Turner
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Bobby Green vs. Jim Miller
  • Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt

Ian Garry’s wife, Layla Anna-Lee, ‘baffled’ by Jon Anik’s apology to toxic MMA fans: ‘No way I can accept this’

Ian Garry wife Layla Anna-Lee on Jon Anik apologyLayla Anna-Lee, the wife of UFC welterweight standout Ian Garry, has interjected herself into the recent drama involving longtime…

Ian Garry wife Layla Anna-Lee on Jon Anik apology

Layla Anna-Lee, the wife of UFC welterweight standout Ian Garry, has interjected herself into the recent drama involving longtime play-by-play man Jon Anik.

Following UFC 297’s contentious title tilt between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis, Anik voiced his opinion that ‘DDP’ was the rightful winner of the closely contested contest. That seemingly struck a chord with fight fans online who expressed their differing opinions in an NSFW way. That prompted Anik to deliver a viral rant, sharing his frustration over the increasingly toxic MMA fanbase. He even went so far as to suggest that those particular fans will be what ultimately drives him away from the UFC.

Anik’s words caused a massive media storm, with practically every outlet reporting on Anik’s intentions to retire soon and the fanbase’s role in his decision. That prompted Anik to apologize to fight fans on Instagram, making it clear that he was in a “heightened emotional state” and made some “regrettable comments relating to the MMA fanbase.”

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Jon Anik (@jon_anik)

Ian Garry’s Wife Refuses to Accept Jon Anik’s Apology

Everyone was seemingly ready to move on following the apology, but there’s one person in particular who has refused to accept his expression of regret.

Layla Anna-Lee responded to the post and made it clear that Anik has nothing to apologize for and thus, she will not accept it.

“Baffled by the apology,” Anna-Lee wrote on the comments. “No way can I accept this. No way. You don’t have a right to an opinion now? “Free speech” is only for haters? No.”

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Screenshot-2024-02-01-152704.png

Anna-Lee found herself the subject of many headlines last year after it was revealed that the 40-year-old TV personality had written a book entitled How to Be a Wag. The 11-page scribe is described as a guidebook designed to teach older women how to date and marry younger celebrities and athletes.

Given that she is 14 years older than Garry, the news spread like wildfire, particularly when former middleweight champion Sean Strickland chimed in, calling her a “succubus” and a “predator.”

Ian Garry’s wife, Layla Anna-Lee, ‘baffled’ by Jon Anik’s apology to toxic MMA fans: ‘No way I can accept this’

Ian Garry wife Layla Anna-Lee on Jon Anik apologyLayla Anna-Lee, the wife of UFC welterweight standout Ian Garry, has interjected herself into the recent drama involving longtime…

Ian Garry wife Layla Anna-Lee on Jon Anik apology

Layla Anna-Lee, the wife of UFC welterweight standout Ian Garry, has interjected herself into the recent drama involving longtime play-by-play man Jon Anik.

Following UFC 297’s contentious title tilt between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis, Anik voiced his opinion that ‘DDP’ was the rightful winner of the closely contested contest. That seemingly struck a chord with fight fans online who expressed their differing opinions in an NSFW way. That prompted Anik to deliver a viral rant, sharing his frustration over the increasingly toxic MMA fanbase. He even went so far as to suggest that those particular fans will be what ultimately drives him away from the UFC.

Anik’s words caused a massive media storm, with practically every outlet reporting on Anik’s intentions to retire soon and the fanbase’s role in his decision. That prompted Anik to apologize to fight fans on Instagram, making it clear that he was in a “heightened emotional state” and made some “regrettable comments relating to the MMA fanbase.”

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Jon Anik (@jon_anik)

Ian Garry’s Wife Refuses to Accept Jon Anik’s Apology

Everyone was seemingly ready to move on following the apology, but there’s one person in particular who has refused to accept his expression of regret.

Layla Anna-Lee responded to the post and made it clear that Anik has nothing to apologize for and thus, she will not accept it.

“Baffled by the apology,” Anna-Lee wrote on the comments. “No way can I accept this. No way. You don’t have a right to an opinion now? “Free speech” is only for haters? No.”

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Screenshot-2024-02-01-152704.png

Anna-Lee found herself the subject of many headlines last year after it was revealed that the 40-year-old TV personality had written a book entitled How to Be a Wag. The 11-page scribe is described as a guidebook designed to teach older women how to date and marry younger celebrities and athletes.

Given that she is 14 years older than Garry, the news spread like wildfire, particularly when former middleweight champion Sean Strickland chimed in, calling her a “succubus” and a “predator.”

UFC commentator Jon Anik issues public apology after calling out fans, suggesting retirement: ‘To whom I offended, I’m sorry’

Jon Anik issues public apology after criticizing UFC fans threatening to retire from commentaryUFC commentator Jon Anik issues a public apology after comments about the MMA fan base Earlier this week Anik…

Jon Anik issues public apology after criticizing UFC fans threatening to retire from commentary

UFC commentator Jon Anik issues a public apology after comments about the MMA fan base

Earlier this week Anik shocked fans when he revealed that his time in the UFC may be coming to an end after seeing their ‘malice and disrespect’ from MMA fans. The 45-year-old seemed upset discussing the toxic nature of some of the fanbase and labelled them the ‘lowest common denominator’.

This came after Jon Anik stated that he believed Dricus Du Plessis beat Sean Strickland in their UFC 297 fight and some fans called foul.  Strickland has quickly gained a large fanbase who were not pleased with the decision itself and Anik’s comments following. 

Jon Anik releases apology on his social media

Taking to his Instagram, the generally well-liked Anik issued an apology for his comments. 

“Last week on my podcast, I was in a heightened emotional state following myriad allegations of bias at UFC 297 and I made some regrettable comments relating to the MMA fan base. While I was surprised at the extent to which my comments were re-purposed and sensationalized, I need to be more responsible on an open microphone. So much work foes into the execution of just one UFC pay-per-view so it can be tough when my integrity is called into question.”

“That doesn’t excuse my retort. I am just a fiery, passionate, flawed, empathetic guy and sometimes my emotions lead the dance. To those MMA fans whom I’ve offended, I am sorry. That was not my intention. For 12 years, I’ve prided myself on being accessible to the fan base and that will continue. I’ve learned a lot over the last 48 hous. On to Anaheim.”

Losing Anik would be a major hit for the UFC and the audience, he is a highly talented play-by-play commentator and seems to have real passion for the sport. No one ever has anything bad thing to say about Anik and is well respected by both his UFC colleagues and the fighters. 

What do you make of the Jon Anik situation? 

Sean Strickland urges Jon Anik to retire from UFC commentary: ‘Maybe the NFL would be a better choice for you’

Sean Strickland urges Jon Anik to retire from UFC commentary maybe go to the NFLAmid claims from long-time UFC play-by-play lead, Jon Anik that he may call time on his tenure as the…

Sean Strickland urges Jon Anik to retire from UFC commentary maybe go to the NFL

Amid claims from long-time UFC play-by-play lead, Jon Anik that he may call time on his tenure as the promotion’s head commentator amid the influx of “malic” and rhetoric from a section of the mixed martial arts community, former middleweight champion, Sean Strickland has urged him to do just that.

Anik, a long-time play-by-play commentator for the promotion, who assumed lead role with the UFC following the departure of former lead, Mike Goldberg at the end of 2016, called the action in Strickland’s title fight loss to newly-minted gold holder, Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 earlier this month.

And sharing his thoughts on the recent influx of negativity and rhetoric spouting fans into the sport amid Strickland’s title fight loss to du Plessis, Anik claimed he was weighing up the prospect of exiting the promotion as a play-by-play commentator in the near future.

“Even if you and I [Kenny Florian] thought Dricus du Plessis won the fight, we try to present that information respectfully,” Jon Anik said. “And when I go onto X, or I go to our YouTube comments, it seems like a lot of these fans are just in attack mode, and I don’t know if these fans are casual fans or not, right?

“I appreciate the passion, but I’m getting to a point where I’m 45 years of age where I don’t know how much time I have left in this MMA space because if I go do pro-football like I’m not necessarily gonna be dealing with this lowest common denominator all the time, and I don’t know man, I just feel like there’s a lot of malice and disrespect from the fanbase,” Jon Anik explained.

Sean Strickland urges Jon Anik to retire from UFC commentary

And sharing his thoughts on Anik’s comments following his title fight defeat to Pretoria native, du Plessis – Strickland claimed the former should just go and commentate for the NFL, before backing his fans.

“What I’d say to Jon Anik calling MMA fans, ‘the lowest common denominator,” Sean Strickland posted on his official X account. “These people are way (sic) you have a paycheck, and you make way more than most. …Maybe the NFL is a better choice for you than MMA. …Also, you guys are a brunch of savage c*nts. I’m here for it….”

What are your thoughts on Sean Strickland’s comments on Jon Anik?