The Extra Point: What's Next for UFC Middleweight Eryk Anders?

The former Alabama football player wasn't able to make it to his scheduled fight this past weekend.

Jun 10, 2023; Vancouver, BC, Canada; Eryk Anders lands a hit against Marc-Andre Barriault during UFC 289 at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images / Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Last weekend's UFC 309 event inside Madison Square Garden in New York City was supposed to be a big opportunity for former Alabama football linebacker Eryk Anders.

Anders was matched up in a middleweight bout against his highest-profile opponent to date, former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman. Weidman, a New York native who has fought just twice since a disastrous leg injury in April of 2021 very nearly cost him his career, was set to do battle at MSG for the first time in six years.

Instead, just hours before the fight was going to go down on Saturday, it was announced on the broadcast that Anders had to pull out due to illness. Anders (16-8 with a no contest) revealed he contracted food poisoning Friday. Furthermore, the former LFA titleholder at 185 pounds said he does not expect the opportunity against Weidman to remain intact but hopes the fight can be rebooked.

The 2009 national champion is 2-1 in his last three fights, while also being two fights removed from a pledge he made in which he stated that he would fight five more times before calling it a career. The 37-year-old has competed 17 times under the UFC banner, splitting wins and losses (8-8) to go with the above-mentioned no contest in early 2021 against Darren Stewart.

Most straightforward among the potential options would seemingly be the promotion keeping the Weidman pairing in the back pocket for a future date. However, as Anders mentioned, it is rare to find oneself across the cage from a former champion in the organization. If that's not the route the UFC opts for, there are still possibilities, including potential rematches with either Jun Yong Park or Marc-Andre Barriault.