Credit: MikeFridley/Sherdog.com
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your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. The
Ultimate Fighting Championship is further bolstering its March
13 show with what should be fireworks in the middleweight
division. First reporting this news on Friday was
MMA Junkie, which stated that Eryk Anders
(13-5) will be taking on Darren
Stewart (12-6, 1 NC) on March 13. The UFC Fight Night card on
that date does not yet have a venue finalized, although it will
likely come down to either the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, or Abu Dhabi,
United Arab Emirates. This news has since been confirmed by
other outlets.
A two-fight win streak for Anders came to an end in May 2020, when
Kryzsztof Jotko captured a unanimous verdict over the former
University of Alabama linebacker. The two prior wins coming over
Vinicius
Moreira Castro and Gerald
Meerschaert, “Ya Boi” was on the winning track after a trio of
setbacks to Thiago
Santos, Elias
Theodorou and Khalil
Rountree. The Alabama native posts a 69 percent finish rate,
and he holds one of the only soccer kick knockouts in UFC history
when he punted Tim
Williams in 2018.
“The Dentist” has alternated wins and losses in his last four, with
victories over Deron Winn
and Maki
Pitolo interspersed between decision defeats to Bartosz
Fabinski and Kevin
Holland. Of note, his match with Fabinski came officially under
the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship banner,
when the UFC lent the two fighters to CW as the coronavirus
pandemic scuttled Stewart and Fabinski’s matchups for a UFC show.
Anders will be one of a small number of recent opponents for
Stewart that did not appear on Dana White’s Contender Series, as seven of
Stewart’s last 10 foes had come up from DWCS.
The March 13 UFC Fight Night card should take place either in the
UFC Apex in Las Vegas or in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The
marquee matchup of the event brings a welterweight scrap between
Leon
Edwards and Khamzat
Chimaev. Key bouts placed on the main card include a
heavyweight rumble between Jairzinho
Rozenstruik and Ciryl Gane,
while Ryan
Hall makes his return at featherweight against Dan Ige.
