Jon Anik, while commentating the UFC 314 main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes, initially believed Volkanovski was leading 30-27 after three rounds, a view not universally shared, but after rewatching the fight, he acknowledged understanding arguments for a clean sweep for Volkanovski despite some significant moments for Lopes.
Jon Anik was calling the shots for UFC 314’s main event, Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes. By the end of round three, he thought Volkanovski was ahead 30-27. Not everyone saw it that way, though.
Anik teamed up with Daniel Cormier and Joe Rogan for commentary during the pay-per-view. Volkanovski reclaimed the featherweight title by unanimous decision. Afterward, Rogan jokingly suggested matchmaker Sean Shelby “needs to be drug tested” for disagreeing with Anik’s take on those first 15 minutes. Curious about that moment?
“So I said on air, late in the third, ‘Diego Lopes might want to do something here, he’s in danger of being down 3-0,'” Anik recounted to MMA Fighting. He didn’t realize Sean Shelby was giving him side-eye until DC pointed it out. Then, both Maynard and Shelby were looking at him like he should get canned. But Anik? He stood by what he saw.
“I’ve done my homework on Round 4 since then,” Anik admitted. “Maybe I was partially wrong criticizing judge Sal D’Amato. Sometimes I question what I’m watching versus what I’ve learned. Still, Shelby wrongly thought Lopes might have been up 2-1.”
Volkanovski snagged two 49-46 scorecards and a 48-47 in his epic win. “The Great” dominated most of the fight, despite getting dropped in round two and taking a big hit in round four.
After rewatching, Anik gets why some scored it a clean sweep for Volkanovski—even with those standout moments for Lopes.
“There’s an argument for 50-45 Volkanovski,” Anik said after reviewing the fight and scoring criteria again. “In round four, Lopes landed the biggest punch but didn’t follow up. Volk doubled his strikes in that round.”
“I see why Sal scored it for him,” Anik mused. “But if you land the fight’s biggest strike and nearly finish your opponent, isn’t that your round?”
“Anyway, I gave rounds 1, 2, 3, and 5 to Volk,” he concluded.