Jon Anik hopes to eventually see the development of an independent MMA Hall of Fame, but in the meantime, he understands the UFC Hall of Fame is the premier place for career recognition.
Anik, the UFC’s lead play-by-play commentator, thinks there are a few shoo-ins for the UFC Hall of Fame as soon as the 2024 class and also in the years beyond.
Although there are no true guidelines for the selections of who joins the modern-era wing, pioneer wing, fight wing and contributor wing of the UFC Hall of Fame each year, Anik has an idea of two non-fighter figures who belong since they are institutions of the promotion, as well as two athletes with decorated careers but haven’t captured undisputed UFC gold.
Anik revealed four people he wants in the UFC Hall of Fame during a recent interview with MMA Junkie Radio, and you can see his selections and arguments for them, below …
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Jim Miller
“How do you rate longevity with wild successful vs. a double champion like Daniel Cormier? I think DC has been asked about Jim Miller, and I think it speaks to DC’s greater thought that there should be a real, true, separate-of-the-UFC, Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame so that you could really differentiate between the undisputed all-time greats and guys who maybe contributed in other ways. If I had a vote right now, based on our criteria, yeah, Jim Miller 100 percent of the time is a UFC Hall of Famer. It hasn’t just been volume of fights. It’s been wins, it’s been finishes, it’s been exciting fights, promotional workhorse. There’s a myriad of reasons why I think Jim Miller should get into the Hall of Fame. Should he be in a different wing than Daniel Cormier? Probably.”
Joe Rogan
“I wonder if at this point in time Joe Rogan has like respectfully declined a UFC Hall of Fame invitation. It’s an eventuality that Joe Rogan is going to go into the UFC Hall of Fame. I would love for that to happen spontaneously live, on a UFC broadcast. To sit here and talk about that man’s growth and contributions to the growth of MMA would be such a long conversation. He has just done so much for our sport and for so many individuals in it. I’m coming up on the nine-year anniversary of my podcast. He’s the only reason I started the f*cking thing. So, Joe Rogan, first-ballot Hall of Famer. I do hope he gets in.
Bruce Buffer
“I hope Bruce Buffer follows him shortly after or precedes (Rogan), because I would like to see Buffer be able to go in. And I guess I can say this now: Bruce Buffer’s been dealing with some stuff around the holidays, and I would like to see him get in. His mother passed away recently, and he broke that news on the ‘It’s Time!’ podcast this week. I found myself saying I would love for Bruce to go in while his mother’s still alive. She was 95 when she passed. I didn’t necessarily take that thought to the masses or the UFC brass, but I would’ve loved for her to be able to see him get that acknowledgement as his biggest fan. So hopefully Bruce Buffer gets in there soon.”
Tony Ferguson
“I will fight like hell for Tony Ferguson to get in. I think sometimes the interim champions can become interesting cases. But maybe I won’t have to fight for Tony. But if there needs to be a fight for Tony Ferguson to get into the UFC Hall of Fame as a modern-era fighter on the merits of his individual accomplishments and not a singular fight like he has against Lando Vannata or Edson Barboza, we’ve got to get Ferguson in on the merits of that 12-fight lightweight winning streak.”
