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Jon Anik is a legendary and veteran UFC commentator. But one who may just have grown “tired” of the game. In a recent disclosure, Anik reported being very fed up with the negativity that follows in the aftermath of a match. This time around, he was specifically speaking about Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.

Perhaps it has more to do with the fans than it has to do with the fight itself. One can admit, the UFC fanbase is wide and varied. It could be the slew of reactions that can overwhelm just about anyone. And for Anik, it looks like things may just wash over soon. But not soon enough.

Will Jon Anik walk away?

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Jon Anik has been in the business for as long as anyone can remember. Staying and commentating for the UFC has been one of his greatest passions but perhaps, it’s starting to wear him out. He does a brilliant podcast titled ‘Anik and Florian’ with Kenny Florian, a retired MMA fighter and commentator. Here, Anik was forced to spill the beans.

The current conditions are a bit difficult for the commentator often seen next to Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier. Fans would later line up the comment section with both, messages of hatred and empowerment. However, one could see, that most comments were completely unsympathetic in nature and didn’t even seem to attempt to understand Anik’s point of view.

“Even if you and I both thought Dricus Du Plessis won the fight, we try to present that information respectfully, and when I go onto X or I go to our YouTube comments it seems like a lot of these fans are just in attack mode,” Jon Anik admitted on his podcast. “I’ve just been very off-put with the negativity that has permeated my feed since Saturday night, and I’m just not sure how much longer I have in this space, honestly,” he added later.

 

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Fans were equally brutal to him after he admitted being off-put by the negativity, hence proving his point in the most marvelous and evident way possible. The UFC community is ripe with aggression and it shows. But in times like this, it was the fighters and professionals who stood by Anik’s side.

Fighters react to Anik hinting at retirement from the sport

MMA fighters are no strangers to aggression often found in the fans online. In fact, most of them have been subjected to it at lease one time or another. Similar things broke out when Dricus Du Plessis secured his win over Sean Strickland. Here are some fighters showing their support for Anik.

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While Gilbert Burns titled him a legend, Frankie Edgar called him the best.

Meanwhile, Terrance McKinney asked fans to not force Anik to retire.

Meanwhile ‘Borrachinha‘ called Anik the best yet again.

Yet other fighters supported Jon Anik from Instagram comments.

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“Preach” wrote Dustin Poirier.

“Amen to that!” said freshly crowned women’s bantamweight champion, Raquel Pennington.

Meanwhile, Johnny Eblen of Bellator had a different view. “Always going to be negativity regardless of the sport”

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Perhaps Eblen’s comment has to do with how Jon Anik claimed that he might just move on to pro football instead. Perhaps, he is right about it too. There is very little that can be done about the negativity. One of those things is just giving social media a rest. But in a job like Anik’s, it becomes very difficult to not use social platforms. Is there a way for anyone to dodge the hate?

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