5 Things You Might Not Know About Eryk Anders

At 10-0, Eryk Anders earned himself a long-awaited opportunity against an elite opponent in Lyoto Machida for a trip to Brazil that will serve as a test of Anders’ potential to climb up the middleweight rankings.

Short on experience, Anders holds just a 2-0 record in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Wins over Rafael Natal and Markus Perez in the second half of 2017 have set up a marquee fight in just his third UFC appearance. A win over Machida would certainly help Anders insert himself in the mix of rising names at 185 pounds and make up for the 31-year-old’s lack of résumé.

As Anders journeys to Brazil for the opportunity of a lifetime against a future UFC hall of famer, here are five things you might not know about the undefeated talent.

1. Anders led the 2009 National Championship game in tackles

Anders is one of a long line of former college football players to make the jump to mixed martial arts post-football. Anders was a recruit of Nick Saban and managed to lead the Alabama Crimson Tide in tackles in the 2009 BCS National Championship with seven.

2. Anders signed to the Arena Football League and Canadian Football League

Despite his impressive performance in the National Championship, Anders was undrafted and failed to cash in on a contract with the Cleveland Browns as a free agent. Anders then made stops in the lower ranks of football, giving it a go in the AFL and CFL before his football failures motivated him to transition into MMA.

3. 1-0 record in Bellator

Bellator MMA had the opportunity to showcase Anders and let him slip into the grasp of the UFC. Despite a 23 second knockout of Brian White at Bellator 162, Anders returned to fight in Legacy Fighting Alliance for two more appearances before making his UFC debut in 2017.

4. Four wins in 2017

2017 was the year that put Anders on the map and vaulted him into his current position. Anders won two fights in LFA over Jon Kirk and Brenden Allen before making his Octagon debut. Earning a win on less than a month’s notice over Rafael Natal at UFC on FOX 25 earned his spot amongst the UFC’s top middleweights.

5. Submissions? What submissions?

If there is a spot where Anders can be exploited, it is in the submission department. A late entrant into the game, Anders is nowhere near a well-versed BJJ fighter. With a submission attempt average of 0.0 per Fight Metric, it is clear Anders has little interest in the element at this stage in his career and it could be an area Machida can exploit.