Jon Anik stands by his efficiency at UFC 304 — most notably, his name of the primary occasion.
Anik, who referred to as the occasion alongside Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping this previous July in Manchester, England, took some criticism for the way he referred to as the welterweight title struggle between new champion Belal Muhammad and Leon Edwards. The longtime play-by-play voice of the UFC is a part of the Anik & Florian Podcast group of exhibits, which features a program hosted by Muhammad and Anik’s twin brother Jason. Consequently, a friendship has grown from the connection.
Whereas some followers criticized his name of the struggle, Anik went again and re-watched it, and as somebody who strives for perfection on each broadcast, he was completely positive with the way it sounded stay.
“I’ve interpersonal relationships on each side of this,” Anik informed MMA Combating. “I truly go additional again with Leon than I do with Belal. Tim Simpson, [Leon’s] supervisor, is an efficient pal of mine, and traditionally, for me, the decision that has, I believe, helped my profession essentially the most was one thing that pertains to Leon Edwards. In case you take heed to the Anik & Florian Podcast, our present open ends with Leon Edwards saying, ‘Head shot lifeless,’ proper? So there’s plenty of connective tissue and interpersonal stuff for me on each side of all of those fights.
“However yeah, I felt like the decision was down the road. … Now, you may think about all of the various things that commentators hear from followers and fighters and coaches and executives through the years. However I sleep nicely at evening, I stand by that decision, and I stand by Belal Muhammad as a pal. After we launched his podcast with my twin brother, 4 or 5 years in the past, no matter it was, he had 18,000 Instagram followers. He was unranked. We believed in him by way of him having a social media presence, and that he might possibly turn into a contender, if not championship athlete. And you recognize what? We wager on the appropriate f*cking man, and if I received married a second time, he could be a f*cking groomsman.
“So I can’t assist that I’ve friendships that I’ve developed on this sport, however you could be positive I’m not as shut with Belal as I’m with Dominick Cruz, and as soon as any of those guys hit the tunnel or hit the inspection zone, final thing I’m fascinated about is their moms and their brothers and the interpersonal stuff. So, it’s what it’s, it comes with the territory and individuals who don’t need to credit score this win on this traditionally nice division by Belal Muhammad? Cry. Cry.”
Following Muhammad’s win, Anik did take a little bit of a victory lap on social media, however with regards to the published itself, and when the lights are on, Anik is a consummate skilled who calls fights proper down the center no matter who’s concerned.
Now that the mud has settled regarding the occasion, Anik revealed how he noticed the matchup on paper heading into it — and it might be stunning to some.
“I didn’t like him within the struggle,” Anik mentioned. “Can I say that now? Does that sound goal? I nonetheless consider Leon Edwards is the hardest matchup for him within the welterweight division, and Shavkat Rakhmonov, and Ian Machado Garry, and Sean Brady and others are proper there — [and] this was a giant consequence for Sean Brady, who I believe is a cannonball coming in his personal if he can get previous Gilbert ‘Durinho’ Burns — however I nonetheless assume Leon is the hardest matchup for Belal. And despite the fact that promotionally, they don’t need to go within the route of a trilogy and an instantaneous run again of that title struggle between Belal Muhammed and Leon Edwards, I’ve an urge for food for it, and I truly consider Leon, if not, some long-reigning champion most likely deserves it.
“If Shavkat will not be prepared, or Usman’s not prepared, or one other man I’m not considering of will not be prepared, I can guarantee you, Leon would shorten up a coaching camp to — as he says — attempt to get this again in blood.”