Jon Anik thinks Jim Miller deserves to be recognized for his record-setting longevity, but isn’t sure about the UFC Hall of Fame.
Miller (38-18 MMA, 27-17 UFC) is the UFC’s all-time leader in wins. He extended his streak after submitting Damon Jackson in the first round less than two weeks ago at UFC 309.
Miller’s 19 stoppage wins in UFC competition are second-most in company history behind Charles Oliveira (20). The 41-year-old is still trucking, and Anik has no issue seeing him in the UFC Hall of Fame – as long as he’s in a different category.
“It’s pretty simple, right? I have hosted the UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony for 12 or 13 years, but the Hall of Fame is a little bit clunky,” Anik told MMA Junkie Radio. “Not only is there no voting body, but the Hall of Fame is comprised of four separate unique wings. So there are a lot of different ways to get into the Hall of Fame.
“Robbie Lawler right now is in the Hall of Fame for a fight in which he took part. My thesis statement largely dovetails with Daniel Cormier’s that Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone and Jim Miller can be Hall of Famers if they are in a different wing than Daniel Cormier and Khabib Nurmagomedov.”
Daniel Cormier argued that neither Miller or Donald Cerrone should be in the UFC Hall of Fame, and Anik sees where his fellow commentator is coming from.
“The Greatest Of All Time fighters, the Mount Rushmore fighters – Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones – shouldn’t be in the same wing with fighters who have longevity-type records,” Anik said.
“Now, Jim Miller is the all-time wins leader. Donald Cerrone did amazing things. Charles Oliveira did a lot of the things that Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone did, but he also won the sport’s ultimate prize. Donald Cerrone had a longer winning streak than Jim Miller did. He at least competed for the undisputed championship. Every case is unique. I would like to see it be a broad voting body that determines these things.”
