"Whiskey and cigarettes next" - Fans bash Jon Anik's "horrible parenting" for announcing 12-year-old daughter's first gamble

Jon Anik is one of the UFC's most recognizable commentators, having joined the ranks of Joe Rogan, Daniel Cormier, etc., to replace the voices of yesteryear in Mike Goldberg. While he has been showered with frequent praise, he has also developed the reputation of an oddball for certain quirks and behaviors.

In the past, this was largely due to his bizarre comments on the custody situation surrounding Chris Gutierrez and Andre Ewell. While he has discussed the children of others in the past, this time, he has caught the MMA world's attention by talking about his own children.

Jon Anik's daughter has come into the spotlight, as he revealed that she, at 12 years old, had made a $5 bet on the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots.

While Jon Anik shared the news on X/Twitter and even expressed pride in his daughter, who stood to win $40, the MMA community reacted differently. Fans did not respond positively to the revelation that Anik's 12-year-old daughter was already gambling, with one comment lambasting his parenting:

"Not the flex you think it is lol, horrible parenting"

Another fan described Anik's tweet as degenerate:

"This is the most degenerate tweet I've seen from you lol"

Meanwhile, another fan implied that Anik was leading his daughter down a dark path:

"Baby's first gamble, whiskey and cigarettes next"

With UFC betting having become a controversial topic as of late, one fan referenced the illegality of a 12-year-old making bets:

"JON NO THAT's ILLEGAL"

A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:

Fan reactions

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Jon Anik's past feud with Nate Diaz

Making comments that rub others the wrong way appears to be something that Jon Anik can't help. Years ago, he made himself an enemy of Nate Diaz ahead of the Stockton legend's first bout with Conor McGregor, who many at the time believed would score a dominant win over Diaz.

Due to the odds against Diaz, Anik joked that if he defeated McGregor, he'd get a tattoo of Stockton's 209 area code, with Stockton being Diaz's hometown. This caused Diaz to lash out and threaten to slap Anik. Upon submitting McGregor in shocking fashion, he warned Anik that he had better get the tattoo as promised. The UFC play-by-play commentator eventually obliged.