Jon Anik is comfortable and proud to be in his position as UFC’s lead play-by-play commentator, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t alternate ambitions.
After starting with the company in 2011, Anik has been at the helm of UFC’s biggest event broadcasts since taking over pay-per-view calls from longtime staple Mike Goldberg in early 2018. During that run, he has become a crucial part of the live event experience for viewers.
Anik has openly discussed that running play-by-play might not be a lifetime position, and one potential role he dreams of landing down the line is that of a UFC matchmaker. Anik admits he doesn’t have all the qualifications needed to do the job at the highest level right now, but that type of job is one he confessed to fantasizing about.
“For me, as a diehard professional sports fan, it is the absolute dream to be in operations, or to be a general manager,” Anik told MMA Junkie. “I would love nothing more than to be offered a matchmaker job and to put the microphone down. I just think I’m a little bit underqualified, while also trying to stay in my lane.
“I don’t think I wouldn’t be able to do it. I would want to invest myself in that world and learn from Mick (Maynard) and Sean (Shelby). Certainly, I’ve gained invaluable insight, having called as many UFC fights and having been through as many fighter meetings. It’s not to suggest I don’t have credentials that I don’t think could help that process. But I have not necessarily watched MMA from a scouting perspective. I haven’t negotiated contracts. There’s just certain things that I think in a broad sense go into the job that I’m underqualified for, but yeah, if they want to change my job title and bring in somebody else to crack a mic – I’m listening.”
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Anik, 46, said he doesn’t know what his future holds. The promotion announced in October 2022 that he’d signed a new four-year contract for his lead play-by-play position and other duties, so a move behind the scenes as matchmaker would be a dramatic shift.
The passion for the sport that beams out of Anik when he’s on camera, doing interviews, hosting his “Anik & Florian Podcast,” or any other endeavor is undeniable, though, and he is confident that passion would translate into an executive position.
“Only God knows (what happens in the future),” Anik said. “I have the job that I want. Who knows what my relative happiness would be if I was in a different capacity? I’m just speaking in broad terms. Being an executive or somebody in operations and talent relations for a major sports organization or promotion or team, is tremendously appealing to me.”
