Colby Covington sparked controversy in March after targeting UFC commentator Jon Anik and involving his children in their dispute, but Anik says they have addressed the issue privately and are now on good terms.
In March, Colby Covington sparked controversy in the MMA world when he targeted UFC play-by-play commentator Jon Anik. Covington criticized Anik for his support of UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad after Covington was announced as the division’s next title challenger. The situation escalated when Covington mentioned Anik’s children in his callout, leading to widespread backlash for threatening a beloved, non-fighter UFC employee.
Covington warned Anik during an interview following UFC 286, saying, “Jon Anik, dude, I don’t want your kids to grow up without a dad. Just realize you live in Boca [Raton], I live in Miami, motherf*****. You’re not too far from me. So you better shut your f****** mouth. You poke the bear? Now you get the bear that comes after you.” Anik later addressed Covington’s comments during an interview with Morning Kombat, stating, “I think you can argue he crossed the line, but I never felt particularly threatened.” Anik also expressed gratitude for the support he received from fellow fighters Jorge Masvidal, Jamahal Hill, and others.
Anik revealed that he and Covington communicated privately, saying, “We have addressed it privately. We didn’t talk, we messaged each other.” Anik initially tried to figure out what he had said to upset the high-profile athlete but realized that Covington’s issue was mainly that he had given Belal Muhammad a platform. Anik ultimately called UFC 287 in Miami without incident, even though Covington was in attendance. He noted that Covington’s words have left him more concerned about any associates of “Chaos” than with the former interim champion himself, admitting, “This was the first time that I can recall that it felt very WWE to me, as a UFC play-by-play guy.”