- Jon Anik criticized the referee in charge of the UFC Vegas 61 co-main event for not deducting a point on Randy Brown after a fence grab
- The UFC commentator addressed the issue afterwards
Jon Anik is usually neutral and wholesome on the microphone when calling fights. However, the controversial fence grab of Randy Brown during his co-main even about against Francisco Trinaldo at UFC Vegas 61 had brought out the bold and outspoken side of Anik.
Anik went off
Brown was declared the winner via unanimous decision. However, the buzz about the fight stemmed from his alleged fence grab in the first round when Trinaldo attempted to take him down. The 44-year-old failed to complete the takedown due to Brown’s fence grab. The referee in charge let the fight continue without deducting any point, earning negative comments from the commentary team, especially from Anik.
See the commentary team’s exchange below: (h/t MMA Mania)
Dominick Cruz: “It’s worth the grab if you’re Brown. Well worth it. No points taken, nothing happened. Something has to happen there.”
Paul Felder: “Yeah that’s where it’s tough. Do you award him the takedown? But, in which position?”
Anik: “Or do you pull out your testicles and take a point?”
Addressing the issue
As expected, some in the MMA community were shocked by Anik’s comments. Replying to The People’s MMA, a Twitter user that posted the audio clip of his remarks, Anik cleared the air and insisted that he has no issues with any referee in the sport. For Anik, Brown’s fence grab was just critical as it “changed the fight.”
What is a ref to do in the face of blatant rule breaking?
Ask @Jon_Anik
That's why we love you man 🤣
Agree 100%#UFCVegas61 pic.twitter.com/aGYb4eh9pg
— The People's MMA 🦈 (@ThePeoplesMMA) October 2, 2022
“I have all the respect in the world for the referees,” he wrote on Twitter. “I even gave my man Keith Peterson a nickname. But you posed the right question. What is a referee to do with a foul like this? It changed the fight, in my humble opinion. Thus the (impassioned) reaction.”
Haha. 🤦🏻♂️ I have all the respect in the world for the referees. I even gave my man Keith Peterson a nickname. But you posed the right question. What is a referee to do with a foul like this? It changed the fight, in my humble opinion. Thus the (impassioned) reaction… 🙏🏼
— Jon Anik (@Jon_Anik) October 2, 2022
Longtime UFC referee Herb Dean previously said that fence grabs are really hard to call as there’s an array of underlying factors to consider before deducting a point. For what it’s worth, Anik made a good point and let’s hope referees would be mindful of fence grabs in the future.
