By the Numbers: Eryk Anders vs. Khalil Rountree

The ordering process for Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-views has changed: UFC 236 is only available on ESPN+ in the U.S.

When the Khalil Rountree matchup was served to his table, Eryk Anders did not hesitate to take it. He came up short the first time he moved up to 205 and will look to prove that he can move back and forth between two weight classes. But this is something Rountree, a loser in his last bout, will try to not let happen.

The two hard punchers will get it on this Saturday for UFC 236 in Atlanta, Georgia. See who has the upper hand with the numbers below.

Wins by knockout

Anders has a total of 11 career wins, seven of which came by knockout. His victims in the Ultimate Fighting Championship are Rafael Natal and Tim Williams. Rountree, on the other hand, prides of five knockouts in seven career victories. In the UFC, he holds knockout triumphs over Daniel Jolly, Paul Craig and Gokhan Saki.

Octagon victories

Rountree has been with the UFC since 2016 and has fought seven times for the promotion. He started off on the wrong foot though, having dropped his first two bouts opposite Andrew Sanchez and Tyson Pedro. Since then, he has gone 3-1 (1 NC), proving he gets better as he goes deeper into his UFC career. Anders, who has appeared in the Octagon six times, won his first two over Rafael Natal and Markus Perez. He wasn’t as successful as Rountree in his next fights though as he won only once in his last four matches.

Career losses

Anders and Rountree both have three career defeats. Anders, however, has faced and bowed to more high-profile opponents. He was stopped by Thiago Santos and lost close split decisions to Lyoto Machida and Elias Theodorou. Rountree, for his part, was decisioned by Andrew Sanchez, submitted by Tyson Pedro and knocked out by Johnny Walker.

Quick finishes

The much-awaited light heavyweight scrap at UFC 236 is a battle of fast starters, as evidenced by Anders and Rountree’s fondness for early knockouts. The former boasts of six first-round knockouts, three of which came in under one minute. Rountree has five first-round finishes, and what’s more impressive is the fact that three of those were in UFC competition. He has had two fights that ended in less than a minute, including a devastating knee knockout of Jolly.

Takedown proficiency

The wrestling department belongs to Anders, who has forced a total of 12 takedowns in UFC competition. This also proves that he is the more well-rounded fighter between the two. “Ya Boi” scored six takedowns on Thiago Santos and three on Lyoto Machida. On the other hand, Rountree has not landed a single takedown since his promotional debut.

Takedown defense

With a 67 percent takedown defense rate, Anders makes good use of his solid takedown defense to keep the fight standing. He has been taken down only five times in his UFC career. Rountree presents a similar tactic but is less successful with his takedown defense at 50 percent. He has been taken to the ground 10 times inside the Octagon.