LAS VEGAS – Eryk Anders met the media Saturday after his win over Brad Tavares at UFC Fight Night 269.
Anders (18-9 MMA, 10-9 UFC) outworked Tavares (21-12 MMA, 16-12 UFC) for a unanimous decision on the prelims at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Then, in a bit of a surprise move, he took his gloves off and announced his retirement from MMA in the cage.
Advertisement
At his post-fight news conference, he said the timing was right.
“I’m done. There’s a lot internally that goes on. I’m happy. I’m at peace,” Anders said. “Twenty fights (in the UFC), I’ve made some money, I’ve got my gym I’ve been running and it’s profitable already. I’m almost 40 – I’ll be 39 next month.
“Tonight, I probably felt better than I’ve ever felt before going into the cage – physically, mentally, everything. I was very confident. Warming up, going through fight week, cutting weight – I got more sleep last night and this morning. Usually I’m up and I can’t sleep, but I was at peace with everything.”
Anders’ win over Tavares gave him a rebound from a first-round knockout loss to Christian Leroy Duncan, which was only the third time he had been finished in his career. It gave him three wins in his final four UFC fights, including a win over ex-champ Chris Weidman.
Advertisement
A standout linebacker at the University of Alabama, Anders won a national title with the Crimson Tide in 2009. When the NFL didn’t pan out, he moved to MMA and made his pro debut in 2015. He won LFA’s middleweight title in 2017 against fellow future UFC standout Brendan Allen, and a month later, he was in the UFC.
But after a 30-year sports career, Anders thinks his body will appreciate his decision – even if, in typical MMA retirement fashion, he’s leaving the door open.
“We all know money talks, so if they come with some money, of course. But I’m cool,” he said.
“I’ve put my body through the ringer since I was 7. I’m still in one piece. My brain is fully functioning and I’d like to keep it that way. There’s only one way I know how to fight, and that’s like this. What else do I have to offer? I can only fight for money at this point, and there are plenty of ways to make that. The script, the end, the final chapter couldn’t have better for me, so I’m good.”
Advertisement
There is one concern Anders has heading into retirement, though.
“What am I going to do for my fix now? You’ll never feel a rush like that doing anything else.”
Check out Anders’ post-fight interview in the video above.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Eryk Anders cool with UFC retirement, but ‘we all know money talks’
