Tag: Eryk Anders

UFC 289’s Marc-Andre Barriault explains why he spent four years calling out Eryk Anders

Marc-Andre Barriault finally gets his chance to fight Eryk Anders at UFC 289 after repeated callouts dating back more than four years.

VANCOUVER – [autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag] has repeatedly said [autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag]’ name when looking ahead to future matchups since he joined the UFC roster in early 2019. Now he gets his wish.

Barriault (15-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC) will meet Anders (15-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) in a middleweight bout on Saturday’s UFC 289 main card, which airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+ from Rogers Arena.

To be clear, Barriault, 33, said there’s never been ill will behind his callouts of Anders. He remembers seeing his upcoming opponent fight in the octagon for the first time, and since then he’s though it made for a compelling matchup.

“I’ve been calling Eryk out for four years now,” Barriault told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 289 media day. “Back when he fought Lyoto Machida I saw his fight. I was like, ‘OK.’ I saw his style. He was more raw. A big dude, strong. Not the most technical, but a big heart. He always goes forward. That’s the way that I fight. So since then I couple times I call him out in the media, and he said, ‘OK. Just do your thing, win some fights and we’ll see maybe one day.’ And here we are.”

To hear more from Barriault, check out his complete UFC 289 media day interview above. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.

UFC 289’s Eryk Anders plans retirement after five more fights to focus on fatherhood

Eryk Anders has his exit plan from MMA set up, and the countdown begins when he steps in the octagon at UFC 289.

VANCOUVER – [autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] has his exit plan from MMA set up, and the countdown begins when he steps in the octagon Saturday at UFC 289.

Anders (15-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) revealed plans to retire from active competition after five more fights, with the first of those coming this weekend when he takes on Marc-Andre Barriault (15-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC) in a middleweight bout at Rogers Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Already satisfied with the career he’s put together, Anders is increasingly aware of the sacrifices he makes as a high-level professional fighter. Now it’s time to wind down.

“Five (more fights) puts me at 20 UFC fights and I think that’s a really good – not many people get that many fights with the UFC,” Anderson told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 289 media day. “My kids are getting older so it’s time for me to kind of – not really transition into a father role because I’m active in their lives, but going away for two months at a time and being gone fighting then needing surgery and even when I get home, sitting on the couch in a cast or whatever.

“It’s just time for me to put more into them. I’m already 36, so I kind of already see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Anders said he will continue to give the sport as all until those five fights are complete. He’s excited to open the main card in the matchup with Barriault, who has been calling him out for more than four years.

To hear more from Anders, watch his complete UFC 289 media day interview above. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (March 13-19)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from March 13-19.

UFC on ESPN 42 post-event facts: Rafael dos Anjos first to reach 8-hour fight time milestone

Rafael dos Anjos became the first fighter in history to log eight hours of octagon fight time in his win at UFC on ESPN 42.

The UFC returned to Orlando, Fla., for the first time in nearly four years Saturday with UFC on ESPN 42, which took place at Amway Center and saw nine out of 14 fights end in a stoppage.

Stephen Thompson (17-6-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) earned the most memorable result of all in the main event. The longtime welterweight contender went to war with Kevin Holland (23-9 MMA, 9-6 UFC). He emerged on top by fourth-round TKO due to corner stoppage and netted another Fight of the Night award in the process.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 42.

UFC on ESPN 42 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: A record for non-PPV card

UFC on ESPN 42 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

ORLANDO – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 42 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $297,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 42 took place at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 42 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Matt Schnell[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Kyle Daukaus[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Phil Rowe[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Emily Ducote[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Michael Johnson[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Natan Levy[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Genaro Valdez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Francis Marshall[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Marcelo Rojo[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Yazmin Jauregui[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Istela Nunes[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $42,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-42 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $7,932,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $14,109,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 42.

UFC on ESPN 42 video: Eryk Anders smashes Kyle Daukaus for second-round stoppage

“Ya Boi” Eryk Anders turned in a dominant performance against Kyle Daukaus at UFC on ESPN 42 in Orlando.

[autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] has snapped his recent skid in impressive fashion.

On the main card of UFC on ESPN 42 at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., Anders (15-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) faced Kyle Daukaus in a middleweight bout. The event aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

It was a one-sided performance for Anders, who had no trouble finding the chin of Daukaus (11-4 MMA, 2-4 UFC) early. Accurate, powerful left hand strikes repeatedly found the mark, causing big reactions from Daukaus, who invited Anders to the ground a number of times.

Anders did not want to play on the mat, and in the second round after another crisp left hand rocked Daukaus, he rushed in and rained down hammerfists until the referee called a stop to the fight.

Watch video of the finish below (via Twitter):

“I’m pretty but my fighting style is ugly, and that’s how I gotta do it,” Anders told Daniel Cormier during his post-fight interview.

The result snapped a two-fight skid for Anders, who dropped consecutive outings to Andre Muniz and Jun Yong Park. Anders’ last win came by unanimous decision over Darren Stewart last June, with his last stoppage coming two years prior to that, a first-round TKO of Vinicius Moreira in 2019.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 42 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 42.

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Eryk Anders def. Kyle Daukaus at UFC on ESPN 42: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Eryk Anders’ second-round TKO win over Kyle Daukaus at UFC on ESPN 42.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag]’ second-round TKO win over [autotag]Kyle Daukaus[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 42 at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. (Photos by Nathan Ray Seebeck, USA TODAY Sports)

UFC on ESPN 42 predictions: No unanimous picks in Orlando

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 42 main card in Orlando, which features Stephen Thompson vs. Kevin Holland.

Thompson
vs.
Holland		 Barberena
vs.
Dos Anjos		 Nicolau
vs.
Schnell		 Pavlovich
vs.
Tuivasa		 Dolidze
vs.
Hermansson		 Anders
vs.
Daukaus
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
190-112		 holland2022
Holland
(52%)		 dosanjos2022
Dos Anjos
(72%)		 nicolau2022
Nicolau
(72%)		 tuivasa2022
Tuivasa
(62%)		 hermansson2022
Hermansson
(52%)		 daukaus2022
Daukaus
(60%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
200-107
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 holland2022
Holland		 dosanjos2022
Dos Anjos		 nicolau2022
Nicolau		 pavlovich2022
Pavlovich		 dolidze2022
Dolidze		 daukaus2022
Daukaus
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
191-116		 holland2022
Holland		 dosanjos2022
Dos Anjos		 nicolau2022
Nicolau		 pavlovich2022
Pavlovich		 dolidze2022
Dolidze		 daukaus2022
Daukaus
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
189-118		 thompson2022
Thompson		 dosanjos2022
Dos Anjos		 nicolau2022
Nicolau		 tuivasa2022
Tuivasa		 hermansson2022
Hermansson		 anders2022
Anders
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
187-120		 thompson2022
Thompson		 dosanjos2022
Dos Anjos		 schnell2022
Schnell		 tuivasa2022
Tuivasa		 dolidze2022
Dolidze		 anders2022
Anders
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
187-120
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 holland2022
Holland		 dosanjos2022
Dos Anjos		 nicolau2022
Nicolau		 pavlovich2022
Pavlovich		 dolidze2022
Dolidze		 daukaus2022
Daukaus
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
185-122		 thompson2022
Thompson		 barberena2022
Barberena		 nicolau2022
Nicolau		 tuivasa2022
Tuivasa		 dolidze2022
Dolidze		 anders2022
Anders
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
184-123		 thompson2022
Thompson		 barberena2022
Barberena		 schnell2022
Schnell		 pavlovich2022
Pavlovich		 dolidze2022
Dolidze		 anders2022
Anders
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
177-130
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 thompson2022
Thompson		 dosanjos2022
Dos Anjos		 nicolau2022
Nicolau		 tuivasa2022
Tuivasa		 hermansson2022
Hermansson		 anders2022
Anders
Nolan King
@mma_kings
177-130		 holland2022
Holland		 dosanjos2022
Dos Anjos		 nicolau2022
Nicolau		 pavlovich2022
Pavlovich		 hermansson2022
Hermansson		 daukaus2022
Daukaus
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
168-139		 thompson2022
Thompson		 dosanjos2022
Dos Anjos		 schnell2022
Schnell		 tuivasa2022
Tuivasa		 dolidze2022
Dolidze		 anders2022
Anders
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
150-157		 thompson2022
Thompson		 dosanjos2022
Dos Anjos		 nicolau2022
Nicolau		 tuivasa2022
Tuivasa		 dolidze2022
Dolidze		 daukaus2022
Daukaus

The UFC is back on the road this week in Florida with big-name welterweights atop the lineup.

UFC on ESPN 42 takes place Saturday at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, two-time welterweight title challenger [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] (16-6-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (23-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC). Holland nearly is a 2-1 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Thompson is +160. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking Thompson, though, at a 7-4 clip.

In the co-feature, former lightweight champion [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] (31-14 MMA, 20-12 UFC) meets [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag] (18-8 MMA, 9-6 UFC) at welterweight. Dos Anjos is the biggest favorite on the card at -575, but he’s not unanimous. Two of our staff pickers have Barberena in an upset.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] (18-3-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) meets [autotag]Matt Schnell[/autotag] (16-6 MMA, 6-5 UFC) in a key flyweight fight. Nicolau is a big favorite at -370 and has an 8-3 picks lead.

[autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) in a heavyweight bout. Pavlovich is a -230 favorite at the betting window, but Tuivasa has a slim 6-5 lead from our staff members.

[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is an underdog in his middleweight fight against -190 favorite [autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC). But our staff members are thinking upset with Dolidze picked at a big 8-3 margin.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] (14-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) takes on [autotag]Kyle Daukaus[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) at middleweight. Daukaus is more than a 2-1 favorite, but Anders is bucking the trend and has a 6-5 picks lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Holland (52 percent), Dos Anjos (72 percent), Nicolau (63 percent), Tuivasa (62 percent), Hermansson (52 percent) and Daukaus (60 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 42.

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UFC on ESPN 42 pre-event facts: Darren Elkins reaches historic milestone

The best facts and figures for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 42, where several familiar veterans have a shot at history.

The UFC returns to Florida on Saturday for UFC on ESPN 42, which takes place at Amway Center in Orlando with a card that airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

A welterweight headliner will close out the card as longtime contender [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] (16-6-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC) will search for his first win in two years when he takes on [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (23-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC).

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC on ESPN 42.

Eryk Anders wants to keep grappler Kyle Daukaus from a chance to get scrambly at UFC on ESPN 42

With back-to-back losses in his return to middleweight, Eryk Anders doesn’t seem to be putting a lot of pressure on himself.

With back-to-back losses in his return to middleweight, [autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] doesn’t seem to be putting a lot of pressure on himself.

Heading into his Saturday main card opener against Kyle Daukaus (11-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 42, Anders (14-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) isn’t focused on his most recent loss – though he does understand why that’s a frequent topic of conversation.

He also isn’t looking too deeply into the future or thinking about having a 2023 that looks good on paper.

“You’re only as good as your last performance,” Anders told MMA Junkie Radio. “Just because we’re going into the new year, I’ll still be on the same contract.”

That’s the cold, hard math the way Anders sees it. And a third straight loss wouldn’t matter if it came late in 2022, early in 2023 or in the middle of the calendar year.

More importantly, he just needs to win after a submission loss to Andre Muniz nearly a year ago and a split call setback against Jun Yong Park in May.

His fight against Daukaus, who is about a 2-1 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook, is one he didn’t ask for, but gladly accepted, knowing exactly what he’ll be trying to do.

“It’s not like I picked Kyle Daukaus out of other fighters or whatever,” Anders said. “But everybody knows – it’s no secret his strong suit is grappling. I think he’s got 11 wins, and nine of them have come from a D’Arce (choke) or armbar or some kind of submission. That’s his game: Find his way to the submission.

“He’s a scrambly guy and will try to get it to the ground, I think. If you engage in the jiu-jitsu with him, he gets really scrambly. He’s a submission over position kind of guy. Obviously, it’s a super dangerous fight. When guys are specialists at one particular thing – he’s got a lot of wins that way.

“Everybody knows what’s going on – kind of like an Andre Muniz, but they still find ways to catch guys with it. I knew Muniz was going to try to armbar me, and he did. Between (Daukaus) and I, it’s whoever implements their game plan and does what they’re best at better is going to win this fight.”

UFC on ESPN 42 takes place Saturday at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

UFC on ESPN 42

Check out the full interview with Anders above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 42.