Ex-Crimson Tide Player Eryk Anders Back in Win Column After Brutal Head-Kick KO

Eryk Anders got a big jump up in competition in February...and he fell short.

In just his third UFC fight, he was given a main event spot opposite former champion Lyoto Machida. Despite posting a solid performance, he came out on the bad end of a questionable split decision. That loss sent him from the main event to curtain-jerking, and the only way to remedy that would be a huge rebound win.

He got it at UFC Fight Night 135 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Facing Tim Williams, Anders scored a brutal head-kick knockout in the closing seconds of the third round. Check it out above.

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Though he still has a long climb up the middleweight ladder ahead of him, this gives him a strong wave of momentum at a critical time. With the UFC building up big events for the final months of 2018, Anders can look to stake a claim against a top-10 middleweight on a big stage.

That could lead to really big things for the ex-Crimson Tide linebacker.