Jon Anik, the voice of the sport, has become the talk of the town, causing a stir among fight fans. After hinting at stepping away due to the negative environment following a backlash he faced post-UFC 297, he found himself in the spotlight. In this challenging time, various fans and fighters, including Gilbert Burns, expressed support. However, Sean Strickland, instead of coming out to offer support, criticized him in his own style. Subsequently, Conor McGregor ally, Dillon Danis intervened, defending Anik and mocking Strickland for his reaction on X.
It all started at the recent PPV event, Anik stood out by opposing the popular view, stating that Dricus Du Plessis won due to takedowns. Subsequently, fans who disagreed and thought Strickland won, flooded his comments with negative remarks, prompting him to ponder about his longevity in the sport.
Now that Anik is the talk of the town, Strickland has chimed in, criticizing the UFC commentator for calling MMA fans the “lowest common denominator.” According to him, Anik is earning significant money thanks to the fans, making Anik’s statement inaccurate. Strickland suggests Anik might be better suited for the NFL. In reply, McGregor’s training partner stepped in, defending Anik and mocked the former UFC champion. He stated,
“Coming from the guy who cried and threatened murder because someone made fun of you.”
Coming from the guy who cried and threatened murder because someone made fun of you. 😂🥲
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) January 27, 2024
Strickland, unhappy with Anik’s favoring of DDP‘s win, expressed frustration over the debatable loss. However, Danis wasn’t impressed with Strickland’s response. Pointing out the savageness that “Tarzan” mentioned, Danis called out Strickland for mocking Anik after he cried and threatened DDP over a mere joke.
Till now, the former middleweight champ hasn’t replied yet but it will be really interesting to see how he replies. Meanwhile, not every UFC fighter mocked Anik.
Not Just Conor McGregor Ally But Many UFC Fighters Rally in Support of Jon Anik Amid Controversial Commentary Backlash
While Strickland’s reaction is understandable, it is needless to say that such strong comments have garnered numerous fan reactions showing support to him. Not only fans but also many MMA fighters, from Gilbert Burns to others, have expressed their support calling him legend of the sport and advised him to ignore the negativity.
My man @Jon_Anik is a legend on the commentary! https://t.co/g15ALcUxLh
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) January 25, 2024
Jon Anik @Jon_Anik you’re legend 💪
— Muhammad Mokaev (@muhammadmokaev) January 26, 2024
Meanwhile, Brown stated that the majority of fans love him, and those expressing negativity are just in minority.
I hope @Jon_Anik knows that the VAST majority of us love him and know that he’s great for the sport. The ones being negative and talking stupid shit are the minority and hate their own lives so much that they try to project that on to those in the spotlight. Fuck em! Do you Jon!
— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) January 26, 2024
@Jon_Anik is the best we have. Be nice with this guy , he is a gentleman 🫶🙏
— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) January 25, 2024
Even though he has faced backlash for his views on UFC 297, many fighters have shown that his fans far outnumber the hate and criticism, and he is still well-liked by many in the sports world. Despite his momentary frustration, Anik still has a lot to offer to the sport.