"I blinked several times waiting for him to blink" - Fans react to Jon Anik's reaction during Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier's heated faceoff

The UFC 302 press conference was not as eventful as some others in the past but fans were captivated by the on-stage face-off between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier at the end of the function. Perhaps even more than the fighters' increasing tension, many were intrigued by the reaction of Jon Anik.

Though he will serve as the play-by-play commentator for the event broadcast on June 1, Anik served as the mediator of the press conference, a position usually held by Dana White. In the final face-off of the night, Anik was seen intently watching the interaction between Makhachev and Poirier.

A close-up video of the face-off was posted on Reddit, where fans entertained themselves with the facial expression of Anik between the two fighters.

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One fan noted the wide-eyed look of the broadcaster who seemingly did not blink, commenting:

"I blinked several times waiting for him to blink"

Fan commenting on Jon Anik's facial expression [via r/UFC on Reddit]

Other fans commented:

"Anik on the same gear as Conor lol"

"WHere is TRT Anik when you need him?"

"Jon Jones DC face-off flashbacks"

View more fan reactions to Jon Anik's reaction to Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier facing off below:

Fans reacting to Jon Anik at the UFC 302 press conference [via r/UFC on Reddit]

What did Dustin Poirier say to Islam Makhachev?

In the heat of the main event fighter face-off at the UFC 302 press conference, many were wondering what Dustin Poirier said to Islam Makhachev to ignite their visible disagreement. Audio that would later be leaked revealed the conversation between the two lightweights.

Upon meeting face-to-face on May 30, Poirier reportedly told the champion he would "sleep slap" him, while Makhachev took offense to 'The Diamond' calling him a "motherf*****." In response, the 32-year-old threatened to slap the challenger while questioning his respect for his title reign.

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In front of the crowd throughout fight week, Poirier has been the clear fan favorite in what is likely to be his final shot at undisputed gold.

Makhachev, in his third title defense, is expected to dominate the fight as the biggest betting favorite on the 12-fight card.

About the author

Jaren covers MMA and boxing for Sportskeeda. He has a total experience of over a year and also writes for FanSided MMA and BetSided.

Jaren is a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Media with high distinction from Butler University in 2023 and chose a field that interests him the most to begin his professional journey. He has over four years of experience practicing boxing and kickboxing and is also a two-stripe Brazilian jiu-jitsu white belt.

His all-time top-five list of MMA fighters includes Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, and Amanda Nunes.

Jaren's first memory of becoming a fan of the sport dates back to the UFC 195 event in January 2016, which was headlined by the Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit title fight. While compiling pieces, he focuses on quality and fact-checking by going through multiple credible sources, such as UFC, Sherdog, and ESPN.

His other interests include training in jiu-jitsu and kickboxing, and watching basketball and American football.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi