As soon as his win over Markus Perez was made official last weekend, unbeaten rising star Eryk Anders called for his next fight to be against a Brazilian icon...in Brazil. On Feb. 3, Anders gets his wish when he faces former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida in the main event of UFC Fight Night at Mangueirinho Arena in Belem, Brazil.
FS1 will televise the five-round middleweight bout. Tickets for UFC Belem go on sale on Dec. 15.
Despite growing up in Belem, Machida never fought in his hometown as a professional until now, and it goes without saying that this will be an emotional night for "The Dragon," owner of wins over Mark Munoz, Gegard Mousasi and CB Dollaway since making his middleweight debut in 2013. Attempting to spoil the homecoming party will be the hard-hitting Anders, a former linebacker for the University of Alabama who is unbeaten in 10 MMA bouts, a run that includes UFC victories over Perez and Rafael Natal.