Jon Anik reveals which moment surprised him most while calling UFC fight

Jon Anik has commentated on plenty of high-stakes matchups in the octagon, but there’s a particular finish that sticks out.

Anik, the UFC’s play-by-play voice, has called spectacular and shocking moments like Beneil Dariush’s comeback knockout of Drakkar Klose, Cody Garbrandt’s buzzer-beater knockout of Raphael Assuncao and Conor McGregor’s recent leg break at UFC 264.

But it’s Rose Namajunas’ magic that has rendered him more speechless than the rest.

“I think the one that I hear the most from fans about is probably Francis Ngannou and Alistair Overeem, and maybe that’s just a little bit of a recency thing because Francis went on to win the title and that got repurposed a lot,” Anik told MMA Junkie Radio. “But I feel like for me, Daniel (Cormier) and Joe (Rogan), to a man when we’re asked about the broadcast booth and special moments or calls, it’s ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas times two.

“Like, I don’t even remember what we said, but as she is doing what she did to Zhang Weili – I’m not thinking about what she did to Joanna Jedrzejczyk at Madison Square Garden. But in terms of the top five times I’ve been most surprised, astonished, left speechless in that broadcast booth, top five of all time, two of those five are ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas. So I’ve got to lead the dance with that.”

Namajunas reclaimed her throne by knocking Weili out with a head kick in Round 1 at UFC 261 in April. What made the finish that much more incredible was the fact Weili was coming off one of the greatest fights in UFC history when she outlasted Jedrzejczyk in a thrilling back-and-forth war at UFC 248. With quick finishes of both Jedrzejczyk and Weili, Namajunas has separated herself from the pack at 115 pounds.