Jon Anik praises Dominick Cruz's recent growth as UFC commentator

UFC commentator Jon Anik believes his broadcast partner and former bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz is hitting a new stride on the mic.

A mainstay on the UFC broadcast team, Anik looks forward to spending more time with Cruz as a commentary partner now that he has retired from competition following a shoulder injury that prompted the cancelation of a scheduled bout in Seattle against Rob Font.

“Dominick Cruz is certainly my best friend among broadcast partners,” Anik told MMA Junkie Radio. “The man I have spent the most time with on the road over the years, and I think, you know, the guy that I’ve leaned on the most in terms of helping me improve and reciprocally sort of helping him improve – just having an open mind to all of that.”

Cruz has been alongside Anik in the commentary booth off and on for years while still competing in the twilight of his Hall of Fame-worthy fighting career. Cruz’s first whole show in the commentary booth was at UFC Fight Night 95 in September 2016.

As his retirement approached and he focused more on improving his skills in the booth, Anik says it’s hard to deny his growth as an analyst.

“If you are intimating that Dominick Cruz has raised his broadcast game over the last 12 months, I couldn’t agree with you more,” Anik responded when asked if the chemistry between his commentary partners has risen over the past year. “Even though Dom’s done a lot of work on himself, he doesn’t always take compliments well.

“I’ve been trying to tell him, like, ‘Dude, I don’t know if there’s something in the water, but your analytics have been absolutely on fire.’ I think for a long time, I’m not telling your audience anything they don’t know, but Dominick Cruz has simplified an intrinsically difficult-to-understand sport better than anybody for a long time.”

At times over the years, UFC fans and even Cruz’s fighting peers, have given him harsh feedback for his commentary. But for every negative remark, Cruz will relay an eerily accurate prediction of what will come next just seconds before it actually happens inside the cage.

From Anik’s perspective, the entire team consitently works at being better for each event, while also not trying to detract from what the athletes are doing when the cage door closes.

“In total honesty, we are trying to not get in the way of a live sporting event that people hold near and dear to their heart,” Anik said. “We are trying to be as listenable as possible for eight hours and not get in the way, and elevate the television experience.”