Jon Anik
American MMA commentator and former ESPN anchor.
via Wikipedia: Jon Anik · see source
Jon Anik is an American mixed martial arts commentator who began his career as an ESPN anchor before joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a play-by-play commentator in 2012. His expertise in MMA has made him a sought-after commentator for high-profile events, and his passion for sports commentary has earned him a loyal following among sports fans worldwide.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 3 July 1978
- Birthplace
- Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
- Education
- Gettysburg College
- Occupation
- Mixed martial arts commentator
Facts from the source article.
Early life and education
Anik was born in Boston, Massachusetts and is Jewish. He has an identical twin brother and two other siblings. He graduated from The Rivers School in Weston, Massachusetts, then enrolled at Gettysburg College in 1997, where he was a member of Theta Chi and earned a degree in political journalism. He spent one semester at American University interning for the George Michael Sports Machine and also worked in the sports department of The MetroWest Daily News.
Career
Anik worked as an ESPN anchor and hosted MMA Live on ESPN2, anchoring coverage of several UFC events. From 2006 to 2008, he anchored SportsCenter updates and filled in on Game Night for ESPN Radio, and hosted a weekly MMA chat on ESPN.com. In 2011, Dana White announced that Anik would join the UFC; he debuted on the international broadcast of UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller. He served as lead play-by-play announcer for FX and FUEL TV fights alongside Kenny Florian, and hosted UFC Ultimate Insider. He filled in for Mike Goldberg at UFC 155. In 2014, he announced a new contract with UFC. After losing a bet on the Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor fight at UFC 196, he got a tattoo of the number 209. He signed a four-year extension in 2018 and was re-signed in 2022.
Other appearances
Anik has appeared on ESPN programs such as SportsNation, The Scott Van Pelt Show, The Herd with Colin Cowherd, and The Doug Gottlieb Show, as well as various MMA radio shows and the ESPN UFC podcast with his 'Anik-dotes'. He was the play-by-play voice for Season 1 of Bellator Fighting Championships and co-starred in the MMA film Warrior. In 2015, he and Kenny Florian started the Anik-Florian podcast. He served as play-by-play commentator for the Canelo vs. Crawford card on September 13, 2025.
More in Mixed Martial Arts Broadcasters
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced