Middleweights
Eryk Anders (10-1) vs. Tim Williams (15-4)
Odds: Anders (-950), Williams (+625)
A former star linebacker at the University of Alabama, Anders felt like an odd choice to headline a card opposite Lyoto Machida this past February; yes, Anders had shown some potential in his two UFC fights to date, but given that he's still mostly raw athleticism and some natural feel, there were a bunch of other prospects more ready for that fight. And indeed, Anders wound up losing a narrow split decision to Machida, falling just short enough of having enough ideas to make up for the gap in experience. So now, it's back to a more normal prospect path for Anders, as "Ya Boi" returns to take on New Jersey's Tim Williams.
A veteran grinder, Williams took the long route to the Octagon, participating in two separate seasons of The Ultimate Fighter before finally getting his UFC call four and a half years later. Williams is a stiff, upright striker and not much of an athlete, but he's a tough out who looks to make a fight as much of an ugly grind as possible. Unfortunately, Williams didn't get much done in his UFC debut, losing to quick fashion against Oskar Piechota this past February, but he gets a big opportunity here to make a name for himself with a win in a gatekeeper role.
I understand the matchmaking here; Anders is still extremely raw, and mostly looks to bull his opponents to the ground where he can use his power to either control them or pound them out. But his December bout against Markus Perez showed that Anders still makes enough mistakes to leave him vulnerable, and Williams is the sort of heady veteran who can capitalize on a mistake and turn the tide of the fight. But still, Williams is a hittable enough striker and overmatched physically to the point that this is most likely a showcase for the prospect. Williams has more of a path to victory that most will figure, but the pick is still Anders via first-round knockout.
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