Strickland STUNS Houston, Two Rising Stars Shine & Jon Jones’ Number Is In Jon Anik’s Phone — The Anik & Florian Podcast Breaks It All Down 🥊

By Cody Merrow | Fight Bananas

WHAT IS UP, Fight Bananas faithful! Episode 584 of The Anik & Florian Podcast,  now powered by All The Smoke Fight,  hit different this Monday, and if you weren’t locked in live at noon Eastern, you missed an absolute BANGER of a show. Snow shutting down the East Coast? Doesn’t matter. Jon Anik and Kenny Florian were on the screws, and this episode had everything,  a massive upset recap, a Jon Jones airport encounter, rising star breakdowns, and two guests that have serious futures in this sport.

Let’s get into it.

👉 Watch the full episode here: The Anik & Florian Podcast – February 23rd

🥊 SEAN STRICKLAND IS A UFC HALL OF FAMER — And This Win Proves It

Let’s be honest. A LOT of people counted Sean “Tarzan” Strickland out against Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez at UFC Fight Night in Houston. The man was a plus-230 UNDERDOG coming off a year-long layoff. Fluffy had eight straight wins and looked like the next big thing at 185.

And then Strickland absolutely SCHOOLED him.

Kenny Florian didn’t mince words: “This was one of his finest performances, perhaps his best since the Adesanya win.” And goddamn if he isn’t right. The teeps to the body throughout the fight were MASTERFUL,  disrupting Fluffy’s pressure game before Strickland dropped that perfectly timed knee in the third round and turned it into a finish at the 2:33 mark.

Here’s the thing though,  what stands out most isn’t just the finish. It’s the killer instinct. The old Sean Strickland might have let that moment pass. This version? He SENSED it and pounced. Ray Longo put it best in his segment: “Simple but not easy. Sean knows Sean.”

Add in a $100K performance bonus and a Hall of Fame résumé that now includes nine main event appearances, and the only logical next fight is the one we ALL want to see,  Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev. Jon and Kenny both said it. Ray said it. RJ Clifford said it. GIVE. US. THAT. FIGHT. 🔥🔥🔥

What do you make of Khamzat’s response to the guys? 👀

What does it signal about his next title defense? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/tpJqGkCIG1

— Anik & Florian Podcast (@AnikFlorianPod) February 27, 2026

🥊 Jon Anik Met Jon Jones at the Houston Airport and I’m LOSING My Mind

Okay, sidebar — because this story is too good.

Anik lands in Houston on Thursday, skips bag check like a real one, and at baggage claim hears a voice that could only be a voiceover artist say, “Is that Jon Anik or his brother Jason?”

He turns around.

IT’S JON FREAKING JONES. With Greg Jackson and Brandon Gibson. At the airport. Going to corner Gable Steveson.

Not only that,  Jonny Bones said he’s been following the Anik & Florian Podcast. He clocked the signed Jon Jones boxing shorts behind Anik’s desk. And then,  he handed Anik his personal cell phone number and said he’d be interested in a long-form interview.

I know, I know. Jon hasn’t texted back yet. Anik was full transparency about that,  peel back the curtain, they always do. But BUCKLE UP, because if that interview happens, it’s going to be appointment television. We’ll be watching.

🥊 Melquizael “The Dalmatian” Costa Is HERE — Dan Ige’s First Finish Says Everything

I don’t say this lightly,  MelquizaelCosta might be the most exciting featherweight prospect in the UFC right now.

Dan Ige had NEVER been stopped by strikes. Not once. Costa walked in, threw a spinning back kick that landed flush on the orbital, and turned off Ige’s lights in spectacular, jaw-dropping fashion. RJ Clifford summed it up: “Finishing Ige, which is something no one else has done, absolutely confirms Costa can be elite.”

The backstory only makes it better. Born in Pará, Brazil. Vitiligo gave him the “Dalmatian” nickname,  a condition that used to keep him in isolation as a kid. Now? He’s breaking through doors in the UFC’s featherweight division and lighting up arenas. This is the kind of fighter story that writes itself. Twenty-nine years old with a vicious spinning back kick and an eight-pack of confidence to match.

DraftKings has him at 150-to-1 to end 2026 as featherweight champion. That’s a fun $10 bet, folks. I’m not saying it happens this year,  but I’m absolutely not sleeping on this man anymore.

Melquizael Costa deserves way more attention pic.twitter.com/6Z9jreZkku

— MMA On Point (@mmaonpoint) February 22, 2026

🥊 The Monkey King Moves Down — Jordan Levitt Is a New Featherweight Headache

Jordan “The Monkey King” Leavitt joined the show about 48 hours after submitting an undefeated, heavily-favored opponent in his UFC featherweight DEBUT,  as a +320 underdog. He walked in lighter, felt stronger, and went right to work.

His quote on fight week? “I saw my opponent in the hallway and I thought,  I’m his size. I don’t even need to be smart. I just need to do my thing.” And that’s exactly what he did.

What I love most about Jordan’s vibe on the show was the honesty about the grind. The monotony of elite-level fight prep. The weight cuts over the years that “gave up ten years of his life” as a lightweight (Kenny’s words, said with a laugh and zero judgment). Now at featherweight, he’s targeting two fights in 2026, aiming to be in ranked conversations by next year. The Monkey King is officially re-energized, and this featherweight division better notice.

JORDAN LEAVITT (@jojo_monkeyking) joins the show with @Jon_Anik and @kennyflorian alongside @raylongomma https://t.co/V1KeZK0Gjg pic.twitter.com/ysjYF6h34C

— Anik & Florian Podcast (@AnikFlorianPod) February 23, 2026

🥊 Jakobe Smith Is a PROBLEM… But That Stoppage Needs to be Addressed

Let’s give Jakobe Smith his flowers first. The backward roll off a takedown,  getting taken down and immediately flipping into side control,  is the kind of instinctive, freakish athleticism you simply cannot teach. Under the wing of Daniel Cormier at Oklahoma State pedigree, this kid is a born fighter with a mean streak and an eight-pack to match.

BUT,  and it’s a significant but,  the extra shots after the stoppage on Josiah Harrell? Not a good look. The ref was late, and Jacoby was in the zone. RJ Clifford gave the most balanced take: “If you told me he was just trying to be an asshole, I believe you. Or if he said he just didn’t know the fight was over — I believe him too.”

What makes this especially heavy is Josiah Harrell’s history,  brain surgery, a remarkable comeback, seized after the stoppage. Tough to watch. You want him healthy and back in there. Just NOT against Jakobe Smith for a while.

🥊 Jean Paul Lebosnoyani — Mufasa Has Arrived

Jean Paul Lebosnoyani, aka “Mufasa”,  joined the show fresh off his split decision UFC debut win, and this kid’s story is WILD. Son of a striking coach who trained with Royce Gracie from day one. A father who pushed him toward the UFC from basically birth. Contender Series pressure. Phil Rowe as a replacement opponent. All of it.

And he passed. He’s now 5-0 at welterweight and doesn’t want to win by decision again… ever. He said the last time he won by decision, he went on a three-fight finishing streak. Plans to repeat the pattern.

He’s 27, living in Vegas five days a week, driving back to Hermosa Beach on weekends just to stay balanced. That yin and yang approach? That’s a smart fighter. Keep your eyes on Mufasa.

LIVE with @jeanpaulmma on the @Jon_Anik and @kennyflorian podcast POWERED by @ats_fight ⬇️⬇️⬇️https://t.co/0YSUUM9XFo pic.twitter.com/5FwYuSZAzn

— Anik & Florian Podcast (@AnikFlorianPod) February 23, 2026

🥊 Mexico City is NEXT — The Quick Picks

Before signing off, Kenny dropped his three picks for UFC Fight Night Moreno vs. Kavanaugh in Mexico City this weekend:

🥊 Daniel Zellhuber at lightweight (prohibitive favorite, but Kenny’s riding him) 🥊 David “The Doctor” Martinez over Chito Vera at bantamweight — speed is the X-factor 🥊 Brandon Moreno over Lonnie Kavanaugh in the main event

Place your bets accordingly, folks. Kenny’s riding chalk this week. Place Your Bets is presented by JonAnik.com — use code ONEMORESLEEP for 15% off merchandise.

Final Word

This was one of those episodes that reminds you why the Anik & Florian Podcast has been must-listen MMA content since 2015 — and why the All The Smoke Fight partnership is only going to make it bigger. Sean Strickland’s performance alone could carry an episode. Add Jon Jones’ phone number, the Dalmatian’s fireworks, Jordan Levitt’s new chapter, and a snowstorm keeping Ray Longo’s whole neighborhood hostage, and you’ve got must-watch TV.

New episodes live every Monday at Noon Eastern. Subscribe. Don’t miss it.

Cody Merrow is the Live Producer of The Anik & Florian Podcast, Remember The Show, and The Gresh & Anik Show. Formerly of MMA Underground and the Pound 4 Pound Podcast newsletter. Follow him on X: @cody_merrow