Jon Anik reveals he is close friends with Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla
"The hardest thing for me is when it comes to the celebrities, right? Like, I'm not as locked into pop culture as the average play-by-play guy. So when I got like the celeb shots, I'm like, how do we pronounce this musician's name? Because I'm just in my room prepping fighters. But no, when I heard that Joe Mazzulla, who you recently rubbed shoulders with, the head coach of my hometown Boston Celtics, was going to stick around after a show to meet me, and we've since become great friends."
About this episode
Jon Anik, the longtime voice of the UFC, sat down with Ariel Helwani for a wide-ranging conversation covering his 15-year broadcasting career, behind-the-scenes UFC insights, and his passionate Boston sports fandom. Anik revealed that top contender Khamzat Chimaev hasn't attended a fighter meeting since Fight Island, contrasting him with stars like Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya who never miss pre-fight obligations. He disclosed that he publicly stated the Conor McGregor-Michael Chandler matchup had fallen apart before Dana White did, and explained McGregor is now a betting underdog in his comeback fight, making it a more legitimate test. Anik candidly admitted he nearly missed Leon Edwards' historic knockout of Kamaru Usman because he was looking away to address commentary about Edwards supposedly running clock. He shared that UFC Freedom 250 at the White House was the broadcasting experience of his lifetime, surpassing even the Sphere event. On the personal front, Anik revealed he has become close friends with Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, including dinner visits where they discuss fighting rather than basketball. He defended the controversial trade of Jaylen Brown, arguing the Celtics need the ball in Jayson Tatum's hands more. Anik detailed his meticulous preparation process, handwriting fighter cards for all 28 athletes on each card and spending up to an hour researching each competitor. He announced plans to launch JABS (Jon Anik Broadcasting Seminar) in Las Vegas, a weekend intensive program for aspiring broadcasters. Throughout the conversation, Anik emphasized staying in his lane, not overstaying his welcome in the industry, and his devotion to fatherhood and family.
Key takeaways
- Jon Anik revealed Khamzat Chimaev has not attended a UFC fighter meeting since Fight Island despite being one of the promotion's top contenders
- Anik disclosed he publicly stated the McGregor-Chandler fight had fallen apart before Dana White confirmed it and noted McGregor is now a betting underdog
- The UFC announcer admitted he nearly missed Leon Edwards' historic knockout head kick against Kamaru Usman because he was looking away mid-fight
- Anik said UFC Freedom 250 at the White House was the greatest broadcasting experience of his lifetime, surpassing the Sphere event
- The broadcaster revealed he has become close friends with Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, including home dinner visits where they discuss fighting
- Anik defended the controversial Jaylen Brown trade, arguing the Celtics need to get the ball in Jayson Tatum's hands more often
- Anik announced plans to launch JABS, a broadcasting seminar in Las Vegas, to teach aspiring play-by-play announcers his craft