UFC
Broadcaster Jon Anik announces he's signed new extension with the UFC
Sep 22, 2014 - 2:20:22 PM Broadcaster Jon Anik announces he's signed new extension with the UFC

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC broadcaster Jon Anik will be hanging around for the time being. The former ESPN broadcaster signed a three year deal with the back in October of 2011, and on Monday he revealed that he's signed on for several more years in a new contract extension with the organization.

"I am sticking around," Anik said in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. "I've signed an extension with the UFC. Hopefully they'll sign it and mail it back to me pretty soon. Anyone who knows me knows that this is the job I've wanted for a long time. The bottom line, Ariel, I'm not a lifelong martial artist, but that doesn't change that this is my passion, that this is my favorite sport and that this is what I want to do with my life."

"I left ESPN honestly hoping to do this job for 20, 25 years. I guess signing an extension here is a big moment for me and hopefully the second of many contracts with the UFC."

Anik's taken over several duties during his time with the organization, serving as a play by play voice for a variety of events each year, hosting the UFC Ultimate Insider program, and taking part in pre- and post-fight panels on FS1 and FS2, among others. The one role he'd like to do again would be as host of another live season of The Ultimate Fighter, though he says that's not likely to happen again.

"It'll be pretty much a similar role. I'll probably do 20 to 22 live events per year," he said. "I imagine Ultimate Insider will continue to be part of it in some capacity. I continue to campaign for them to bring The Ultimate Fighter back to a live format, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen... Doing 'The Ultimate Fighter: Live' was the most fun I've ever had in television."

Penick's Analysis: This is great news, and congrats to Anik on the new deal. He's been consistently good in his role as play by play man, and in teaming with Brian Stann I think the two of them have done some of the strongest work in that regard over the last year. That he'll be a part of the team for the foreseeable future is excellent.