Jon Anik ‘not surprised’ by Jon Jones UFC 295 withdrawal: ‘I just thought it was ambitious, with respect’

While Jon Jones’ withdrawal from UFC 295 was disappointing, some believe it wasn’t extremely surprising and it has led to an intriguing interim heavyweight championship on Saturday.

Jones was slated to face former champ Stipe Miocic in his first title defense at Madison Square Garden, but a torn pectoral muscle led to the postponement of the championship fight to a later date. In its place, Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall battle in the co-main event for an interim title.

When asked, UFC play-by-play voice Jon Anik — who will call the action on Saturday — gave his initial reaction to the news.

“Not surprised, with respect,” Anik told MMA Fighting. “I thought it was ambitious to suggest that Jon Jones after that type of extended layoff would compete at UFC 285 in March and then be able to turn it round again in early November. I just thought it was ambitious, with respect.

“You know how seriously Jon Jones takes all of these championship fights. No man, nor woman has won as many title fights as Jon Jones and that really is the only biggest record that actually matters, but I have to wonder aloud, was this injury preventable, had he been in the gym for every minute that he possibly could be dating to that past title [fight] — and I’m not necessarily suggesting that that’s the right recipe for success either — but I’m not surprised that this fight did not necessarily materialize. “

As of now, there’s no official time frame in place to re-book the Jones vs. Miocic fight, and according to UFC CEO Dana White’s announcement of the changes, Jones could face upwards of eight months of recovery time.

While Pavlovich and Aspinall aren’t the household names Jones and Miocic are at the moment, it certainly doesn’t mean the matchup between surging contenders isn’t incredibly fascinating.

Anik is thrilled to call it and is hopeful the heavyweight division is able to move forward by the summer of 2024.

“I do hope that they can make this fight [between Jones and Miocic], and rather expeditiously inside of 10 months because it is a little bit muddy now with the UFC interim heavyweight champion set to be crowned here [at UFC 295],” Anik said. “Now we’re gonna get Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich. Is that not just a massive, massive heavyweight fight in 2023?

“You can’t help but just smile as an MMA fan. That fight is absolutely enormous and without any build up, the intrigue is just through the roof on that one for me, Obviously, it’s a legacy fight between Jon Jones and Stipe, and I know I’m getting a little bit animated here, but Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall you can argue right now are the two best heavyweights in the world, smack dab in the middle of their primes, primal, ready to kill and defend every three months. I do like that.

“There’s going to be movement, I love the fact that those guys signed on the dotted line, and I’m fascinated to see where the betting line closes and everything else with that fight. I hope I don’t sound like a promoter, but I know you feel me on how big that fight is.

“Gosh, I can’t wait for that fight, and I do think the UFC will be able to un-muddy the muddy waters when it comes to the championship, and the pecking order, and all of that. Hopefully, Jon Jones gets healthy with the pectoral.”