EXCLUSIVE | Eryk Anders believes fight with Khalil Rountree will end with someone on their back

Most of the attention ahead of UFC 236 has surrounded the two interim title fights on the bill, and rightfully so. The matchups are interesting and gold is on the line. But, one fight that has been flying under the radar is a main card fight between Eryk Anders and Khalil Rountree.

Anders is set to move up to light heavyweight for this fight, but he doesn’t see it as a permanent move.

“Man, you know, I like to fight a lot and this was the first fight that was offered to me,” Anders said to BJPENN.com. “And then, on top of that it was on UFC 236 so how could you possibly say no.”

On top of fighting on a pay-per-view, Anders will be the fight right before the two title fights. He knows Rountree and himself will set the stage for the title fights and entertain the Atlanta crowd.

Given the fact that both Anders and Rountree have serious knockout power, and both move forward, Anders expects this one to end by knockout.

“I think people really like my fighting style as well as Rountree’s. I imagine we will meet in the middle and get right to work,” he explained. “It is something that fans want to see and I don’t think it will be a boring fight. I don’t see it going to a decision either so that is something the fans want to see. They want to see fighters slug it out and see someone get finished.  I truly think this fight will end with someone on their back and I don’t think it will be me. I’m fully confident in my skills and preparations and conditioning for this fight. I expect a lot of fireworks.”

Ahead of the fight, Anders moved his camp to Factory X to prepare.

Now, Anders gets to train with the likes of Anthony Smith, Zak Cummings, and Ian Heinisch among others. As well, Marc Montoya has been his new coach and Anders feels that he has gotten much better in such a short period of time as a result.

“It is awesome to be in a room full of go-getters,” Anders said. “Being in a room full of guys who are trying to be at the top and have the belt on their mind. It is a totally different atmosphere. They really get after it and I feel like I am really developing. It is a good fit for me.”

For now, Anders is doing final preparations ahead of his main card fight. Anders knows how important it is to win on Saturday night and is confident he will leave Atlanta with a win.

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 4/10/2019