UFC commentator Jon Anik has seen plenty of the sport’s biggest names come and go. One major question mark at the moment is the legacy of UFC lightweight Dustin Poirier, a firm fan favorite who has never held an undisputed UFC title. In a recent interview with MMAFighting, Anik laid down his perspective on Poirier’s legacy.
“I don’t even know how to be articulate when talking about Dustin Poirier, I just want to call him an f’ing gangster and say, ‘Oh my f’ing God, this guy, man.’
Jon Anik on Dustin Poirier’s Legacy
Durability, focus, boxing fundamentals — gosh, if you’re in an alley, don’t you want f****** guy [with you], bro?” Anik continued, waxing lyrical about Poirier’s abilities in the Octagon. Specifically, he remains impressed by Poirier’s grit and determination, citing Poirier’s recent submission victory over Michael Chandler as evidence. Poirier was battered by Chandler, an explosive, dangerous fighter, but rallied to deliver a brutal victory in one of the bloodiest fights in recent memory.
“Dustin Poirier is incredible, and I don’t think he needs an undisputed UFC lightweight championship to prove any sort of greatness. This was a difficult matchup [for Poirier] in a lot of respects. Michael Chandler’s explosivity is a problem for a lot of people, and maybe if Chandler makes a little bit of a different decision at times in this fight, the narrative flips.
Dustin Poirier’s ability to recognize when he’s hurt, bite down on the mouthpiece, and then, obviously, his skill set is such that he as able to submit a guy in this setting, his ability to rise to the occasion, and then just the attitude after the fact to tell Michael Chandler — however respectfully or not — that this is his house, the octagon, which he’s essentially competed 30 times. Huge night for Poirier in proving that his UFC body of work counts for a whole lot, and obviously I have buckets of respect for Chandler in defeat.”
Anik was also careful to express his gratitude for the privilege of sitting ringside for Poirier’s recent fight against Michael Chandler, a thrilling, bloody affair that ranked among the best fights of the year.
“It’s crazy calling a fight like that, you can be sure. I hope we did it justice. Brian Stann was texting me that maybe we could’ve done that fight more justice with our commentary, but you know, best we could do.”
Do you agree with Jon Anik about Dustin Poirier? Let us know in the comments.
