UFC color commentator hinted at quitting his job earlier this week due to “lowest common denominator” fans who were being overly negative towards him, but despite receiving a lot of support from UFC stars he’s since opted to issue an apology.
“Last week on my podcast, I was in a heightened emotional state following myriad allegations of bias at UFC 297 and I made some regrettable comments relating to the MMA fan base,” Anik said in a written statement. “While I was surprised at the extent to which my comments were re-purposed and sensationalized, I need to be more responsible on an open microphone. So much work goes into the execution of just one UFC pay-per-view so it can be tough when my integrity on broadcast is called into question.
“That doesn’t excuse my retort. I am just a fiery, passionate, flawed, empathetic guy and sometimes my emotions lead the dance. To those MMA Fans whom I’ve offended, I am sorry. That was not my intention. For 12 years, I’ve prided myself on being accessible to the fan base and that will continue. I’ve learned a lot over the last 48 hours. On to Anaheim…”
Despite walking back his comments, the fact that Anik said at the time that he was leaning towards quitting his role in 2026 does still leave lingering question marks over his long-term future as the UFC’s lead play-by-play announcer.
