Eryk Anders is back to middleweight following a brief stint at light heavyweight. When he makes his return to 185 pounds at UFC Tampa this Saturday, Gerald Meerschaert will be standing across from him.
Although Anders is coming off of a knockout win at light heavyweight last time out, he has a simple reason for moving back to middleweight.
“I just enjoy fighting at middleweight. I think for my career, middleweight is the best way to go,” Anders said to BJPENN.com. “205’ers are really big and my chances are better at middleweight.”
Coming back down to 185 pounds, Eryk Anders is not worried about losing any of his power. He knows whatever weight class he fights at, he has the capability of knocking anyone out.
Yet, against Meerschaert, he will have the tough task of avoiding takedowns and keeping this fight standing. The Roufusport product has very good jiu-jitsu, but Anders believes he won’t be taken down and will be able to finish this fight.
“The game plan is to go out there and win in devastating fashion. I think I have a very underrated jiu-jitsu game and overall grappling game,” he explained. “We all know what I am capable of and can do on the feet and that is what I like to do. I’m very well versed on the ground as well. Wherever the fight takes place I like my chances.”
For this training camp as well, Eryk Anders did parts in Alabama like usual with UFC heavyweight Walt Harris. Yet this time around, he also went to Texas and trained at Fortis MMA. Although he didn’t do his full camp there, he spent a couple of weeks in Texas and says he got some very good looks to prepare.
“Me and coach Sayif and a couple of the guys from Fortis, we are all cool and have a great relationship,” Anders said. “I was going down there and working with Ryan Spann, Uriah Hall, Geoff Neal, Alonzo Menifield. It is a super talented room and I love the way they run practices and train at. It was good for me to work with them and work with some monsters.”
With the extra training, Anders is super confident he will extend the winning streak to two. He also says he plans on fighting one more time in 2019, and expects to win again. Then, he has one wish, and that is for a UFC card in Alabama with teammate Walt Harris headlining. He dreams of getting the chance to walk out to ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ just like he did when he played football at the University of Alabama.
For all that to happen, he knows he must win Saturday at UFC Tampa. He says a knockout is coming.
“Whatever weight class I fight I can put anyone’s lights out,” Anders concluded.
Learn how to watch the UFC Tampa card here.
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 10/08/2019.