Eryk Anders had Darren Stewart right where he wanted him in the octagon back in March, but an illegal knee strike that was ruled accidental resulted in a no decision, and an unsatisfying ending for the former Alabama linebacker.
At UFC 263 last weekend, Anders got his shot at finishing what he started, and while it didn't end in a knockout, he still got the result he expected the first time around.
"The first fight was so dominant, I had the utmost confidence that I was gonna go out there and get a win," Anders told Pete Hoffman on the latest episode of The Fight Fan. "There wasn't really any pressure or question in my mind…because I had already done it…Didn't get the finish, but the third round was basically how I wanted it to go."
Anders had Stewart down on the canvas shortly before the accidental knee in the first fight, but there was a lot more grappling along the fence in the rematch, though Anders was able to take control in the third round to get the unanimous decision.
"I knew he would make adjustments," Anders said. "Listening to his interviews before the fight, he said he was gonna use his feet and stick and move and stuff, so I was just like 'cool.' My game plan was to get him up against the cage, weigh on him and get him tired, which I did in the third round."
The two fights happened just months apart but saw two very different styles. Fortunately for Anders, he looked like the superior fighter in both.
"That was the first time I ever fought somebody twice, especially back to back like that," Anders said. "I was expecting the same fight as the first one, and it was quite the opposite."
Listen to Anders' full interview with Hoffman, as well as Sofia Salgado previewing her fight on Saturday night, on the full episode of The Fight Fan below!
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