"I got sensitive to that but I shouldn't" - Jon Anik looks back on his outburst toward MMA fans following "allegations of bias"
Jon Anik has walked back his criticism of the MMA fanbase, some of whom accused him of showing bias in favor of Dricus du Plessis following the South African's middleweight title triumph at UFC 285.
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Anik reevaluated the reasons behind his outburst, chastisising himself for being overly sensitive to the behavior of MMA fans in online spaces.
In an ironic twist, his response to their behavior actually led to even more criticism from certain corners of the internet:
"For me, as a play-by-play guy, when there are myriad allegations of bias or people suggesting that there's a lack of objectivity, I got sensitive to that but I shouldn't. You know, like, I'm certainly not sensitive to personal attacks, and things like that I really need to not be sensitive to allegations of bias because 95% of the fanbase felt like it was an even call."
Check out Jon Anik's comments (0:26):
In the wake of the allegations of bias thrown in his direction, the UFC color commentator threatened to part ways with the broadcast booth in favor of working in the NFL or NBA. While some reacted poorly to Anik's statements, he did receive an outpouring of support.
Several UFC fighters flocked to X/Twitter to criticize the fans for pushing Anik to a supposed breaking point. It was a testament to how beloved he is in the promotion and community as a whole.
Has Jon Anik had any issues with any UFC fighters?
While Jon Anik has steered clear of any major controversies, he has had moments where he has either rubbed a fighter the wrong way or exhibited behavior that was poorly received. First, he earned Nate Diaz's ire by dismissing the Stockton native's chances in his first matchup with Conor McGregor.
He went as far as promising to get a 209 tattoo, which would have represented Diaz's Stockton area code, if Diaz won. Naturally, this offended Diaz, who threatened Anik. Upon defeating McGregor, Diaz warned Anik to get the promised tattoo.
Another fighter he previously upset is Colby Covington.
The UFC color commentator spoke in favor of the streaking Belal Muhammad receiving a title shot before 'Chaos', which the former interim champion took as a slight and threatened Anik.
Perhaps most infamous is Anik's custody battle comment, which enraged one of the fighters, Chris Gutierrez, in question. For reference, Anik brought up custody battles involving Gutierrez and his opponent at the time, Andre Ewell.