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Jon Anik is planning to step on the other side of the cage as he prepares at the Institute of Human Performance (IHP) for a potential amateur MMA debut.
The UFC commentator recently posted a picture of himself standing alongside JC Santana, the founder of IHP, on his Instagram account and revealed his plans to enter the competitive sphere of MMA in the caption.
For those questioning the origin of the idea, Anik credited UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns at the end of the caption.
Jon Anik called out bantamweight fighters in the comments section to reveal that he will make his amateur MMA debut in the 135lb division. Anik's plans were welcomed by prominent figures in the MMA community like Ali Abdelaziz, Belal Muhammad, and Kenny Florian.
His move's validity could raise many eyebrows, given his age and absolute inexperience in fighting. However, it is hard to believe that the Boston native has not learned a thing or two after commentating on fights alongside MMA greats Dominick Cruz, Daniel Cormier, and Michael Bisping.
Jon Anik is a former ESPN anchor who joined the UFC broadcast team as a play-by-play commentator in 2011. Initially limited to Fight Night events, Anik became the lead play-by-play announcer for all major UFC showcases following Mike Goldberg's departure from the UFC in late 2016.
Jon Anik kept his promise after Nate Diaz defeated Conor McGregor
Ahead of Nate Diaz's short-notice fight against Conor McGregor at UFC 196, Jon Anik made a bold bet during a podcast that he co-hosted with Kenny Florian. Anik agreed to get a '209' tattoo on his body if Diaz defeated McGregor. '209' represented the area code of Nate Diaz's hometown Stockton.
Nate Diaz went on to defeat Conor McGregor in one of the biggest upset wins of the year and Jon Anik kept his promise of getting the 209 tattoo.
