In March, controversy stirred in the world of mixed martial arts when Colby Covington attacked UFC commentator Jon Anik in an interview. Covington criticised Anik for his support of Belal Muhammad following the announcement of Covington as the UFC welterweight contender.

The former interim champion even referenced Anik’s children, causing an uproar amongst fans for threatening a non-fighter, fan-favorite UFC employee. Kombat, Anik commented on Covington’s remarks. Although Anik believes Covington crossed the line, he never felt threatened. Many athletes, including Jorge Masvidal and Jamahal Hill, offered their support to Anik following Covington’s comments.

The confrontation between Covington and Anik concerned a belt ranking discussed on-air. Anik admitted exploring the ranking could have been taken negatively by Covington, but he never anticipated the hostility. Anik and Covington recently addressed the clash privately, coming to a peaceful resolution.

Anik emphasises that his biggest concern goes beyond his relationship with Covington. Any rising hostilities by “Chaos’s” cohorts may trigger future altercations. Anik has noticed a “WWE” atmosphere surrounding the events, which he believes goes beyond the typical athlete-coach drama in the UFC. Despite this, Anik has not received any negative comments from executives at the UFC, calling UFC 287 without incident, even with Covington attendance.

Overall, Anik hopes to keep a professional relationship with Covington and focus on commentating the game.