As the dust settles on the greatest card in MMA history, fan favorite UFC commentator Jon Anik gives his honest take on the one moment that defined UFC 300.
Containing your emotions in front of millions of viewers is one of the most important aspects of a sports commentator’s job, yet maintaining those feelings of euphoria after witnessing such an iconic moment as UFC 300 is exactly why Jon Anik remains one of the most popular figures in the sport today.
The commentary booth’s reaction to Max Holloway’s was every fan
It’s safe to say that the MMA world collectively stopped what we was doing to scream at our screens in unison as Max Holloway delivered a last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje to earn the BMF championship.
From the furthest reaches of the MMA world to cageside, fans and fighters alike left their seats to celebrate ‘Blessed’ and the iconic achievement of having the single greatest finish to a UFC fight in history.
Unsurprisingly, the reaction from commentary booth members Joe Rogan, Daniel Cormier, and Jon Anik is going viral around the world – albeit with the former double champ looking decidedly upset at seeing his friend Gaethje flatlined in such a dramatic fashion.
Jon Anik shares his honest reaction to Max Holloway’s UFC 300 victory
Legendary UFC commentator Jon Anik must remain both ‘sharp’ and relatively neutral on the official broadcast, as he remains the play-by-play voice of the promotion’s most iconic moments.
Speaking via the latest episode of the Anik and Florian Podcast, the fan-favorite commentator shared his honest reaction to Holloway’s iconic last-second knockout, noting that there is a difference between what he can exclaim on the broadcast versus what’s going on in his head:
“I just can’t even believe it – I worried about being able to properly articulate myself today because I’m a fan of this sport [first]. Dana [White] says that we sell Holy S*** moments and dude, I had to be sharp when this happened on Saturday night but today, I don’t have to be.”
“Dude, holy s***, like are you serious? The BMF title fight is going to end with Justin Gaethje face first on the canvas with one second to go, after an epic 24 minutes and 59 seconds?!”
Anik also celebrated the fact that there could be hundreds of thousands of new MMA fans this week thanks to Holloway’s standout performance:
“I mean come on man, I mean how many people didn’t watch MMA before UFC 300 and are forever hooked – come to a live event and it’ll ruin your marriage.”
Breaking down the finishing sequence, Anik noted that whilst ‘Blessed’ could be “the greatest volume boxer in UFC history,” he’s never really been known for having one-punch knockout power, unlike his opponent on Saturday night.
“Maybe at that point in the fight, Max Holloway doesn’t think that Justin Gaethje is capable of finishing him but no. Like he’s done this before, he pointed to the center of the octagon against Ricardo Lamas at UFC 199.”
Ultimately, Anik settled on one key distinction for Holloway in those final moments, one that fans will remember mirrored from Leon Edwards’ iconic head kick KO of Kamaru Usman… Max Holloway, the BMF champion; “This is just the cloth from which he is cut.”
More live reactions to Holloway’s KO from across the internet
With so much attention on the BMF title fight heading into UFC 300, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see so many cameras pointed at fellow fighters in the front row of the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday evening, and around the world.
The UFC also released the audio from referee Marc Goddard, who could contain his own astonishment at the KO.
UFC 300 will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest cards in MMA history, with Holloway’s last-second KO almost entirely guaranteed to win ‘KO of the Year’ – despite it only being mid-April.