In a tweet from its official Twitter account, the UFC the UFC has termed its lead play-by-play commentator, Jon Anik, “the greatest” commentator in UFC history. While this may seem like a big claim with the presence of the likes of Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier on his (literal and metaphorical) side, the promotion has good reasons for this.

Anik, after calling the UFC 301 event in Rio de Janeiro last week, has officially become the most experienced UFC commentator in the promotion’s history. The Boston native, always humble and respectful, gave his reaction to the announcement.

Jon Anik pips Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier at UFC 301

UFC 301, marked by the legendary Jose Aldo‘s triumphant return to the promotion following a brief retirement, saw Alexandre Pantoja successfully defend his flyweight title via a controversial unanimous decision over Steve Erceg. However, Aldo was not the only one who had a historical triumph at the event.

Jon Anik, who, at this point has become the voice of the sport with his in-depth insights and deep knowledge of the sport and individual athletes, officially set the record for “most fights called” in the UFC and called him the commentary GOAT, the promotion tweeted. “THE GREATEST TO EVER DO IT 👏 After last night’s event @Jon_Anik has set the record for most fights called in UFC History! 👊,” the UFC tweeted.

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Anik, who has been with the promotion for fourteen years now, expressed his “extreme gratitude” to the UFC and fans for their support. “Extreme gratitude to be a part of this squad! I’ll never take this seat for granted. I try to earn it every show. No, overstating how much your support has meant,” he tweeted.

While the exact number of cards, fights, or any statistics are unavailable, the commentator has been at it for over a decade. And his journey to becoming a UFC commentator has been a long and consequential one.

How did Jon Anik become a UFC commentator?

Born in 1978 in Boston to a Jewish family where “Boston sports was the true religion,” it is no surprise that Jon Anik was a rabid sports fan. While MMA was not a thing back then, the 4-year-old’s love for the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, and Patriots saw him follow the full gamut of major American sports since he was a child.

After graduating from Gettysburg College with a degree in journalism, it was natural for Anik to try and pursue a career in sports journalism. After a brief internship at the ‘George Michael Sports Machine’, where he learned the ins and outs of the sports journalism industry, Anik joined ESPN in 2007.

Coincidentally with his joining the world’s largest broadcaster was the rise in popularity of the UFC following the breakaway success of its flagship reality show, ‘The Ultimate Fighter’, which began in 2005 following a 2001 acquisition by Zuffa LLC, which saw Dana White appointed as its president.

Anik would host the earliest MMA shows in ESPN history as well as cover many of its events on the channel, distinguishing himself for his knowledge and deep insights into the sport. He quickly found favor among the famously plucky fans. This did not go unnoticed by Dana White and the UFC, who signed him to the promotion as a commentator and host and never looked back. The rest, as they say, is history.