Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 event.
While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.
Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN 8 went with as their backing tracks in Jacksonville, Fla.
Krzysztof Jotko extended his winning streak to three with a unanimous decision win over Eryk Anders at UFC on ESPN 8 in Jacksonville, Fla.
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[autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag] picked up his first win of 2020.
The Polish striker outpointed [autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8. Jotko (22-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) notched a 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 decision on the judges’ scorecards.
The middleweight bout was part of the UFC on ESPN 8 main card at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. It aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
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It was a fairly uneventful contest between the two middleweights. Anders (13-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) pushed the action for the majority of the 15 minutes, pressing Jotko against the cage and controlling the clinch.
But despite being the aggressor in the wrestling department, Anders failed to get Jotko to the ground or land many significant strikes.
In Round 1, Anders pressed forward and controlled Jotko against the cage. But at every break, it was clear that Jotko was landing the cleaner shots. The same story unfolded in Rounds 2 and 3.
With the result, Jotko is now on a three-fight winning streak. It was Jotko’s first fight since July 2019. He mentioned in his post-fight interview wanting to be more active moving forward. Anders’ two-fight streak came to a halt.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 8 results include:
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Krzysztof Jotko isn’t concerned with what Eryk Anders brings to the table at UFC on ESPN 8.
[autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag] isn’t concerned with what [autotag]Eryk Anders [/autotag]brings to the table.
The two were initially scheduled to fight on April 11, but the event was scrapped due to the coronavirus outbreak and the fight was moved to Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 event.
Jotko (21-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC), who recently underwent shoulder surgery, is happy to finally enter a bout with a clean bill of health. He said he wasn’t at 100 percent in his fights with Uriah Hall and David Branch.
He’s won two in a row and likes his chances against Anders (13-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) in a matchup in which he said he doesn’t see any specific threat.
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“He don’t have something like super jiu-jitsu or very good standup or something that I need to be scared (of),” Jotko said during Thursday’s UFC on ESPN 8 virtual media day. “He’s just a good athlete, top guy, and that’s it. I think I’m a better fighter. I’m a more spectacular fighter and I will show this this Saturday.”
If things go his way, Jotko hopes to run things back with Hall. He was in control of that fight until he got caught midway through Round 2.
“I will be so happy to have a rematch with Uriah Hall – that’s what I want,” Jotko said.
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Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 fight between Eryk Anders and Krzysztof Jotko, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.
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Eryk Anders and Krzysztof Jotko square off in a middleweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN 8 – also known as ESPN Fight Night 172 – at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.
Anders (13-4) enters just 3-4 across his past seven bouts, but he is coming off a split-decision victory over Gerald Meerschaert Oct. 12, 2019. Nine of Anders’ 17 professional fights have resulted in a KO/TKO, with eight victories, including a 3-1 mark at the UFC level. He isn’t keen on going to the canvas, as just one of his 17 career fights have ended by submission, with none at the UFC level.
Jotko (21-4) heads into this one with two straight decision victories, including a split-decision win over Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 240. Eight of Jotko’s 12 UFC bouts have gone the distance, as he can be a bit methodical. In 25 career fights, he has a 1-1 mark via submission, including 0-1 at the UFC level. Neither of these fighters will be looking to go to the canvas, so look for a toe-to-toe slugfest.
Want to place a bet on UFC Fight Night? Place bets at BetMGM online in CO, IN, NV, NJ and WV! New customer offer: Risk-free first bet! Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet now!
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday, May 14 at 6:15 a.m. ET.
JOTKO (-159) has won a pair of decision victories in the past two, and eight of his 12 fights at the UFC level have gone the distance. Not only should you BET JOTKO straight up on the 2-way line over Anders (+130), but taking YES (-159): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? is also a sound bet – and the juice isn’t too steep.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Jotko (-159) to win outright returns a profit of $6.29, with the same exact payout for the fight going the distance.
To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.
If you want some action on this MMA bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 8 main card in Jacksonville, Fla., featuring Alistair Overeem vs. Walt Harris.
| Overeem vs. Harris |
Gadelha vs. Hill |
Barboza vs. Ige |
Anders vs. Jotko |
Vera vs. Yadong |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2020: 44-26 |
 Harris (53%) |
 Gadelha (73%) |
 Barboza (65%) |
 Anders (54%) |
 Yadong (53%) |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 2020: 51-17 |
 Overeem |
Gadelha |
Barboza |
 Jotko |
Yadong |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 2020: 50-18  2017 Champion |
Harris |
Gadelha |
 Ige |
Anders |
 Vera |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2020: 50-18 |
Overeem |
Gadelha |
Barboza |
Anders |
Yadong |
| Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2020: 50-18 |
Harris |
Gadelha |
Ige |
Anders |
Yadong |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2020: 48-20 2014 Champion |
Overeem |
Gadelha |
Barboza |
Jotko |
Yadong |
| Simon Head @simonhead 2020: 48-20 2019 Champion* |
Overeem |
Gadelha |
Barboza |
Jotko |
Yadong |
| John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2020: 48-20 |
Harris |
Gadelha |
Ige |
Anders |
Vera |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 2020: 48-20 |
Harris |
Gadelha |
Barboza |
Jotko |
Yadong |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2020: 47-19 2018 Champion |
Harris |
Gadelha |
Barboza |
Jotko |
Yadong |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2020: 46-22 |
Overeem |
 Hill |
Barboza |
Jotko |
Vera |
| Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2020: 46-22 |
Overeem |
Gadelha |
Barboza |
Jotko |
Yadong |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2020: 44-24 |
Harris |
Gadelha |
Ige |
Anders |
Vera |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2020: 40-28 |
Overeem |
Gadelha |
Barboza |
Anders |
Yadong |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2020: 31-37 |
Overeem |
Hill |
Barboza |
Anders |
Vera |
The UFC wraps up its mini-residency in Florida on Saturday with its third show in eight days.
UFC on ESPN 8 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+. The event is closed to fans, but the fights still will take place and will be broadcast with essential personnel on site.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) takes on [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 6-6 UFC) at heavyweight. Harris is the favorite in the fight at around -150, but it’s Overeem with a slight 8-6 edge in the picks from our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.
In the co-main event, former women’s strawweight title challenger [autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) takes on [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (12-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC), who is fighting for the seventh time in 14 months. Gadelha is the biggest favorite on the card at -210, and she’s the biggest favorite in our picks at 12-2.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] (20-8 MMA, 14-8 UFC) makes the drop from lightweight to featherweight to take on [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who has won five straight. Barboza is a slight favorite, but he’s got a big 10-4 lead from our staff pickers.
[autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) may be a mild underdog in his middleweight fight against [autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC), but our pickers see it as a coin flip. The picks are dead even at 7-7.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (17-5-1 MMA, 9-4 UFC) meets [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (15-4-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in a featherweight fight. Yadong nearly is a 2-1 favorite, and he’s got a heavy 9-5 lead in the picks.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Harris (53 percent), Gadelha (73 percent), Barboza (65 percent), Anders (54 percent) and Yadong (53 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
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Ahead of UFC on ESPN 8, Eryk Anders talks about the emotions he expects to experience when Walt Harris returns after a family tragedy.
[autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] says he owes a lot to teammate [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag].
In fact, Anders (13-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) credits Harris (13-7 MMA, 6-6 UFC) with his entry into MMA. The first time Anders ever sparred in an MMA gym, Harris was his opponent. From the start, Anders recognized what kind of guy Harris was. They’ve become great friends over the years and remain training partners to this day.
“I showed up and he was my first experience with MMA,” Anders told MMA Junkie during a virtual media day Thursday. “Needless to say, a five-minute round, probably four minutes and 57 seconds of it, I sweat the whole time in the corner, getting beat up on the post. He’s a gentle giant, man. He really is. He’s got a giant heart. In the nicest way possible, he beat me up.
“I just fell in love with the sport then and there. There was a whole new skill set I had to learn. I just felt it would be a lot funner to be not on the giving end, but the receiving side of these things. I don’t think if I have that experience, I have an MMA career.”
At UFC on ESPN 8, the two Alabama-based fighters will share the same card for the first time under the UFC banner. However, it won’t be the first time they’ve fought on the same show. At an Alabama regional event, Strike Hard Productions 20 in December 2012, Anders and Harris shared a card together.
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UFC on ESPN 8 marks the first time Harris has fought since his 19-year-old stepdaughter Aniah Blanchard was found murdered this past October. Anders isn’t sure what the emotion will be like in the locker room on fight night, but said MMA has been a saving grace for Harris.
“It’s kind of hard to ignore the elephant in the room,” Anders said. “Everybody knows what happened. Everybody knows. … When he’s in the gym, he’s one of the guys, man. We make fun of him. He talks trash. There’s a lot of camaraderie that goes into this. We all kind of took that hit. His daughter has babysat my children before. I think it’s a little personal for everybody in the gym.
“The camaraderie and being around the fellas and coaches in training kind of helps get your mind off those things. There’s no telling what the emotions are going to be like on fight night, but I think everybody is focused and dialed in on the things they need to be focused and dialed in on. I think it would be very ignorant for me to say on fight night the emotions might not be a little bit different.”
By beating his UFC on ESPN 8 opponent Krzysztof Jotko (21-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC), Anders thinks he’ll take one step closer to a potential UFC card in Alabama. If the fighters’ success can outlast the COVID-19 pandemic and fans are once again able to attend events, Anders sees UFC Alabama as a big seller.
“I think if we both go out there and get finishes in devastating fashion as we are both accustomed to doing, I think if the UFC comes to Birmingham or wherever in Alabama, it’s going to be a sellout event,” Anders said.
UFC on ESPN 8 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
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Eryk Anders has a unique history with UFC on ESPN 8 headliner Walt Harris. He credits Harris for his start in MMA, and elaborates on the special relationships formed by teamwork.
Eryk Anders has a unique history with UFC on ESPN 8 headliner Walt Harris. He credits Harris for his start in MMA, and elaborates on the special relationships formed by teamwork.
Betting odds and viewing guide for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card featuring Alistair Overeem vs. Walt Harris.
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The Ultimate Fighting Championship schedule keeps rolling along with UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris set for Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. Prelims begin at 6 p.m. ET with the main card set to start at 9 p.m. ET. The full event is available on ESPN+. Below, we look at the BetMGM betting odds for all 11 fights on the UFC Fight Night main card and prelims.
Betting odds courtesy of BetMGM. All lines last updated Thursday, May 14 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Heavyweight bout. No. 8 contender vs. No. 9 contender.
Women’s strawweight bout. No. 6 contender vs. unranked.
Featherweight bout. No. 15 contender vs. No. 11 contender.
Middleweight bout. Unranked vs. unranked.
Featherweight bout. No. 14 contender vs. No. 15 contender.
Want to place a bet on UFC Fight Night? Place bets at BetMGM online in CO, IN, NV, NJ and WV! New customer offer: Risk-free first bet! Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet now!
Welterweight bout. Unranked vs. unranked.
Middleweight bout. Unranked vs. unranked.
Featherweight bout. Unranked vs. unranked.
Women’s flyweight bout. Unranked vs. unranked.
Featherweight bout. Unranked vs. unranked.
Heavyweight bout. Unranked vs. unranked.
Where is it? VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville
When is it? Saturday, May 16 at 9 p.m. ET
How to watch: ESPN+
Get some action on UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris by placing a legal sports bets in Colorado, Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey and West Virginia at BetMGM. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 event in Jacksonville, Fla.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 event in Jacksonville, Fla.
Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC on ESPN 8 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN 8 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card airs on ESPN and streams ESPN+.
Originally scheduled for April 11, Eryk Anders vs. Krzysztof Jotko is now being targeted for the UFC’s May 16 event.
[autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag] is close to being rebooked.
Originally scheduled for April 11 at UFC on ESPN+ 30, Anders (13-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) vs. Jotko (21-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) is now being targeted for the UFC’s May 16 event.
A person with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the in-the-works booking, but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
The event takes place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card is expected to stream on ESPN/ESPN+.
Anders (13-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) is riding a wave of momentum stemming from back-to-back victories over Vinicius Moreira in June and Gerald Meerschaert in October. The first of those victories snapped a three-fight losing streak for Anders, who has also recently dabbled in competing at 205 pounds.
Likewise, Jotko (21-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has won both of his most recent outings. After defeating Alen Amedovski in April, Jotko edged a split decision over Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 240 in July. The Polish middleweight was booked to fight Ian Heinisch in November, but withdrew due to injury.
With the addition, here’s the current UFC lineup for May 16:
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