"I was sworn to secrecy by the great Joe Rogan" - Jon Anik discloses the UFC was aware of Khamzat Chimaev's weight hours before weigh-ins
Jon Anik recently revealed that he was aware in advance that Khamzat Chimaev would miss weight at UFC 279. Anik claims to have been informed of the fiasco by Joe Rogan at 9:30 am while the event was scheduled for 11:50 am ET. Even if we assume Anik was informed at 9:30 PT, Chimaev weighed in close to 10:30 am PT.
The UFC play-by-play commentator was also allegedly sworn to secrecy by his colleague Rogan. Anik recently told Mike Heck of MMA Fighting:
"Well I was sworn to secrecy by the great Joe Rogan who called me at 9:30 in the morning and suggested that this is what Dana White was trying to do. And I appreciated that because at that point of time I was in the dark, you know and I every time I would come out, the media's looking for something."
Watch Anik's interview with MMA Fighting below:
Chimaev weighed in at 178lbs for his UFC 279 clash against Nate Diaz, 7.5 pounds over the non-title welterweight limit of 171lbs. White worked his magic to hold the event together, reshuffling three main-card fights, including the headliner and co-headliner. 'Borz' ended up facing Kevin Holland in a catchweight bout of 180 lbs in the co-main event, while Diaz headlined the card opposite Tony Ferguson at welterweight.
Massive boos for Khamzat Chimaev at ceremonial weigh-ins. He flips off the crowd: "This is Chechnya, motherf*ckers! Shut up, guys!" #UFC279
Dana White insists that Khamzat Chimaev was on weight when he landed in Vegas
UFC president Dana White did not fine Khamzat Chimaev for missing weight, unlike other UFC 279 fighters like Chris Barnett and Hakeeb Dawodu. White claimed that doctors sent in to check on Chimaev had instructed 'Borz' to stop cutting weight.
Prodded by Joe Rogan during his post-fight octagon interview, Chimaev claimed that he wasn't initially far off from making weight before doctors told him to start drinking water. More recently, White has claimed that the Chechen-born Swede was on weight when he landed in Las Vegas. The 53-year-old said during a DWCS post-fight presser:
“A lot of stuff went down, a lot of stuff that you didn’t see and that people will never hear about...We fixed a lot of the problems we used to have and Khamzat came in on weight. When he landed here he was lighter than he was his last fight and he made weight.”
Watch White's comments on Khamzat Chimaev below: