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Jon Anik Calls for UFC Roster Cuts and Shorter Cards to Make Events 'More Palatable'

He argues a leaner lineup would curb eight-hour broadcasts that exhaust viewers.

Overview

  • Anik said he would cut about 150 fighters and trim cards to 10–11 bouts to reduce marathon runtimes to roughly five or six hours.
  • He cited a roster “north of 600” and about 50 annual signings from Dana White’s Contender Series as drivers of bloated events.
  • The comments came on the Spinnin Backfist show, where he acknowledged the stance might seem selfish from a broadcaster’s perspective.
  • No UFC policy changes have been announced, and Anik remains lead play-by-play for UFC 324 on Jan. 24 at T-Mobile Arena as broadcasts move to Paramount+, with Joe Rogan, Daniel Cormier and desk anchor Kate Scott.
  • Anik also speculated the proposed White House card could feature multiple undisputed title fights, which he framed as an ambitious possibility rather than a confirmed plan.