Jon Anik was in Las Vegas for the 2025 UFC Hall of Fame Ceremony, and of course, to commentate on UFC 317 the next day. Anik stopped by with Cageside Press’ Gabriel Gonzalez to talk about the upcoming ceremony and his connections to those involved.
First came the hottest topic of the night, the induction of Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum to the Fight Wing of the HOF. Anik jumped right in with a massive conclusion when asked about the fight,
“Maybe the best fight that I have ever been assigned. I just remember thinking, in maybe my third year of calling PPVs, can a 25-minute fight actually get more epic than this? I remember when my boss asked me earlier this year about some HOF fights, and there was a long list. This one jumped off the page, really excited to see these two athletes get this honor.”
Following this praise, Jon Anik also commended the introduction of the Fight Wing for the chances it presents non-champion fighters.
“It gives the UFC an opportunity to acknowledge athletes like Kelvin Gastelum, who may not get in on the merits of his individual body of work.”
Robbie Lawler’s long-anticipated HOF induction was also a hot topic of the night. This was a source of pleasure for Anik, who recalled his expectations for this moment years ago.
“I also knew when he went into the HOF for the Rory McDonald fight that he was gonna have to go back to the podium a couple years later for this honor. When I think about all the people that I have worked for in MMA, all the fans that I’ve talked to, and all the fighters that I’ve interviewed, I think Robbie Lawler may be the most beloved guy of them all. He’s an absolute legend, and he’ll take your soul if he needs to.”
Jon Anik Reveals the Method Behind the Madness
Anik also provided an interesting insight into his commentator role and how much work we actually miss behind the scenes.
“Sometimes the fighter walkouts are commercialized depending on where in the world you’re watching. I might tell a background story that never makes it to the air, sometimes I might trot it out again. It’s a fine line; our sport moves so quickly. I might have to bail on a background biographical story mid-round because the action necessitates it. I probably use 15% of what I prepare, I just try to optimize my moments as best as I can.”
Watch our full interview with UFC lead play-by-play commentator Jon Anik above.
