Jon Anik thinks referee Jason Herzog didn’t do enough to protect Mohammad Yahya after a record-setting number of knockdowns from Steven Nguyen at UFC on ABC 9.
Herzog was the third man on the octagon Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi when Nguyen (11-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) battered Yahya (12-6 MMA, 0-3 UFC) all over the cage, scoring a new single-fight high six knockdowns landed before it was mercifully called off by the doctor at the conclusion of the second round.
UFC executive Dave Shaw said he spoke to Herzog post-fight and was content with his explanation about not halting the action earlier. Moreover, Shaw said Yahya did not suffer any facial fractures and his extremely swollen eye was superficial damage.
Longtime lead UFC play-by-play commentator Anik, who was not on the call for the event, said he was unsettled by what he witnessed while watching it all play out on television.
“What are we doing in the form of fighter safety?” Anik said on Monday’s episode of The Anik & Florian Podcast. “Maybe I should call my friend Jason Herzog, who I really do love and be like, ‘Hey Jason, it’s Jon. Do me a favor and just stop the fight?’ There’s a lot to unpack here. Tapology ranks the Daniel Zellhuber vs. Esteban Ribovics fight from 2024 as the 34th greatest lightweight fight of all time in MMA, and the No. 1 fight of the year in 2024. Jason Herzog was the referee for Zellhuber and Ribovics, and if you hear nothing else I say today – I don’t know if I was suggestive on the broadcast that fight should’ve been stopped at one point in time, but I thought Zellhuber should’ve been saved to live to fight another day.
“The result was Herzog masterfully let the fight play out and the result was the Fight of the Year. But my thesis statement always is, ‘What are doing in the form of fighter safety.’ The ends don’t justify the means. If there’s a rally and a Fight of the Year ensues, just because Mohammad Yahya doesn’t have an orbital fracture doesn’t mean that heretofore it doesn’t mean he’s going to pay dearly for this.”
Anik went on to explain that although there were some knockdowns where it seemed like Yahya instantly recovered
“I felt like the fight should’ve been stopped,” Anik said. “Paul Felder said toward the end of Round 2, ‘This fight is not going to continue, right? Because a physician is going to get involved here.’ Bisping first called for a potential stoppage because of all the knockdowns at the two-and-a-half minute mark of Round 1.
“I do believe, because we’re not assessing concussive damage live in the moment, but after a myriad of knockdowns, I’m not saying there should be a knockdown rule in mixed martial arts, but it does exist for a reason. After six or even of these f*cking things we can stop the fight.”
In closing, Anik said that sole blame of the result does not fall on Herzog. He point to the corner team of Yahya, who could’ve signalled to Herzog to wave it off at any point.
“Plenty (of blame on the corner),” Anik said. “And it’s probably shame on me for not acknowledging their culpability in all of this. I don’t know. I watched it and I don’t know if I’m being particularly reactionary, but it was not good.”
