Jon Anik Blasts Din Thomas's UFC 330 Retirement Call After Robertson's Title-Fight Loss
Updated
Updated · Bloody Elbow · Aug 16
Jon Anik Blasts Din Thomas's UFC 330 Retirement Call After Robertson's Title-Fight Loss
3 articles · Updated · Bloody Elbow · Aug 16
Summary
Jon Anik called Din Thomas's on-air retirement announcement "awful" during UFC 330 after Gillian Robertson lost a unanimous decision to strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern in the co-main event.
Thomas said he had promised to keep cornering until he took Robertson "as far as she could go," then declared he was "officially retiring from cornering fighters tonight" after her first UFC title bid ended.
Social media backlash quickly followed, with fans calling the moment disrespectful and ill-timed because the announcement appeared to shift attention from Robertson immediately after her defeat.
Dana White said the move was "weird" and a first for him, adding that even as Thomas's friend he had not been told beforehand and suggesting burnout may be behind the decision.
The controversy unfolded on a UFC 330 card that also featured Islam Makhachev's record 17th straight win and multiple post-fight retirements.