Jon Anik began his career as a UFC commentator in UFC 155 when he filled in for Mike Goldberg. Nobody would have thought at that time that he would become a familiar face in the UFC. However, since the exit of Goldberg in 2017, Anik has donned the mantle of the main play-by-play commentator in the UFC for all pay-per-view events. Such has been his expertise in the MMA that he is not only highly sought after but also has a loyal legion of fans and admirers. One such person is the veteran color commentator Joe Rogan himself.
Fun fact: Anik’s first MMA commentary partner was none other than Joe Rogan himself, way back at UFC 155. Since then, they have come a long way together as an iconic commentary team along with Daniel Cormier. From time to time, Rogan has voiced his awe and admiration for Anik’s commentary. Just last year, he was gushing about Anik’s play-by-play during that legendary Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards clash at UFC 278. So, what had Rogan all hyped up about Anik’s words? Let’s dive in and find out.
Joe Rogan was highly impressed with Jon Anik
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Joe Rogan sat down with UFC bantamweight star Sean O’Malley in JRE MMA Show #133. During the show, Rogan played the bout between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman, which took place at UFC 278. When the bout reached the fifth round, ‘Rocky’ went for an electrifying head kick against ‘The Nigerian Nightmare.’ Just moments before the knockout, Anik prophetically set the mood for something huge to come, and he was spot on.
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After listening to Anik’s commentary, Rogan said, “Jon Anik’s the best of all time. He’s the best. ‘That is not the cloth from which he was cut.’ Bam, and then the knockout. It’s the perfect call. It’s the best call ever… Bro, that’s Shakespeare. Jon Anik is the f*cking man… it’s the greatest call of all time. It doesn’t get any better. Every now and then, the words and the moment line up, and you’re like, that’s the perfect call.” The words of Rogan are enough to prove that Anik has already impressed the former Fear Factor host with his great talent.
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Anik has great respect for Rogan
The love and respect between Joe Rogan and Jon Anik are mutual. When Anik spoke on the Morning Kombat show, he praised Rogan for being the voice of the UFC for a long time. Anik had huge respect for the JRE podcaster for being a great human who is always nice to his colleagues. The first time Anik and Rogan worked together was at UFC 155. Back then, Rogan was a highly popular figure, and even then, he chose to support Anik in the best way possible.
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The UFC play-by-play commentator was also frustrated when the 55-year-old didn’t receive any awards for contributing so much to MMA. Anik strongly believed that Rogan deserved prestigious awards like the Emmy for playing a significant part in popularizing MMA all over the world. Do you believe that Jon Anik and Joe Rogan are two of the best UFC commentators in the history of the promotion? Let us know in the comments below.
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