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Check out these photos from the UFC on ABC 3 ceremonial weigh-ins.
Check out these photos from the UFC on ABC 3 ceremonial weigh-ins which took place at the UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photos courtesy of Gregory Payan, AP Images)
UFC commentator Jon Anik is not a fan of the recent incident between Dominick Cruz and Daniel Cormier.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] is not a fan of the recent headlines surrounding some of the UFC commentary team members.
The play-by-play UFC commentator, who will be calling Saturday’s UFC 269 pay-per-view, doesn’t like the stir Dominick Cruz comments at media day caused in the MMA space.
Cruz, who fights Pedro Munhoz on Saturday and is also a UFC analyst, said at Wednesday’s media day that he mutes Daniel Cormier’s commentary, as he alleges Cormier “doesn’t do the homework” and finds him to be unprepared for the broadcasts.
Anik understands Cruz, but is not keen on this type of comments and the attention it creates leading up to one of the biggest cards of the year.
“It went from entertaining I think to start being a little disappointing,” Anik told MMA Junkie. “I knew inevitably I was going to be asked about it. They all prepare differently, so I’m not going to engage too much as far as that’s concerned.
“Dominick and I have spent a lot of time together, so he has seen me intimately prepare for these shows, so I appreciate he had some kind things to say. But any time the broadcast teams are taking any shine away from the athletes that are competing, this is not an ideal situation. The fact that Dana White is being asked about the broadcasters and that friction at the press conference, we’re talking about this instead of Geoff Neal and Santiago Ponzinibbio as our kicker to the interview. So I don’t like when we or any broadcasters take any shine away from our athletes.”
Cruz’s original comments made plenty of waves in the MMA community, as well as the fallout that came from it. Cormier confronted Cruz on the matter the following day.
Anik hopes that Cruz and Cormier can get past this incident.
“Hopefully there’s lessons to learn all around,” Anik said. “Dom don’t give a rip what people think. He shoots from the hip. He’s one of my best friends in the world and he’s insulted me to my face and he’s been right. He’s not afraid to tell it how it is. There are many instances in the past where Dominick has shot from the hip and it doesn’t seem to grab many headlines. Hopefully, they can smooth things over in terms of their personal relationship, but Dominick Cruz is not going to back down I can tell you that.”
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UFC 259 commentator Jon Anik answers media questions after official weigh-ins
UFC 259 commentator Jon Anik answers media questions after official weigh-ins
Jon Anik talks to media after UFC 258 weigh-ins
Jon Anik talks to media after UFC 258 weigh-ins
From UFC Fight Island Jon Anik previews ‘most challenging week’ of career
From UFC Fight Island Jon Anik previews ‘most challenging week’ of career
Jon Anik spoke to the media ahead of UFC 254 on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
Jon Anik spoke to the media ahead of UFC 254 on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
“I’ve never had a blood shower like that sitting octagon-side before.”
The UFC is starting back up this Saturday, as UFC 249 will finally take place in Jacksonville.
Tony Ferguson is in the main event but unfortunately he won’t be fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov, which was supposed to be the main event of this original card that was scheduled to take place in April before the coronavirus rightly cancelled everything.
Ferguson will now be fighting Justin Gaethje, with the interim lightweight belt on the line. It’s not the fight we were hoping for but it should be a fun one between two brawlers that will take place in an empty arena.
Ferguson is one of the most entertaining fighters both inside and outside of the Octagon. He’s just different than most fighters/people and that usually leads to some wild things.
The Athletic published a piece today in which they asked a number of different people for their best Tony Ferguson story and it didn’t disappoint. UFC announcer Jon Anik, who’s one of the best play-by-play guys in sports, shared one in which he got hit by a lot of blood during a Ferguson-Anthony Pettis fight in 2018.
— Jon Anik (@Jon_Anik) May 4, 2020
He said:
When he fought Anthony “Showtime” Pettis in 2018, I’ve never had a blood shower like that sitting octagon-side before. We get splattered with blood on my note cards, on my face, on the front of my neck a little bit, on my shirt. But never where the blood is spewing over on top of us like a shower. I was getting legitimate dollops of human blood on the back of my shirt. And of course it wasn’t Tony Ferguson’s blood, but he had no problem tasting it and fighting through it and winning another fight by style points.
The UFC keeps all my suits, but I asked if I could keep that shirt and never wash it, and that’s the plan. I still have my suit unwashed from Mark Hunt vs. “Bigfoot” Silva in 2013 in Brisbane because we got a little sprayed there too. But this shirt I’m hoping to frame and do something special with.
Now that is gross, but I do get it.
