Eryk Anders’ fighting style? Not exactly a feast for the eyes. But, boy, did it get the job done against a not-so-top-tier UFC middleweight.
His strategy? Simple. Take ’em down, then pummel ’em good. This game plan led the former University of Alabama linebacker to a unanimous victory over Jamie Pickett, who was eyeing retirement. They clashed at UFC Fight Night 238, right in the heart of Las Vegas.
The judges all nodded in agreement, scoring it 29-27, 29-28, and again 29-28, all in favor of Anders. This win was a sweet comeback after his loss to Marc-Andre Barriault on June 10.
Pickett had a moment in the first round, catching Anders with a counter right. But as the clock ticked, his efforts fizzled. Anders just bulldozed through, dominating with takedowns and relentless ground-and-pound. By the third round, an elbow from Anders had Pickett bleeding.
Switching gears, Vinicius Oliveira pulled off something straight out of a movie. A flying knee that sent Bernardo Sopai packing in their bantamweight bout. Sopai, stepping in on short notice, saw his night end abruptly 4:41 into the third round.
For a good chunk of the fight, Oliveira seemed to be on the back foot. Sopai was all over him, mixing punches and kicks with timely takedowns. But Oliveira flipped the script, drained Sopai’s energy, and then, bam! That flying knee.
Oliveira’s now riding a three-win streak, all by knockout. Impressive, right?
Further down the lineup, Aiemann Zahabi showed some serious skills against Javid Basharat. It was a unanimous decision after three rounds, with all judges scoring it 29-28 for Zahabi. This victory marks his fourth straight win in the bantamweight division.
Basharat started strong but couldn’t keep up the momentum. Zahabi turned up the heat in the last 10 minutes, throwing combinations and heavy body kicks. He pushed Basharat out of his comfort zone, securing the win.
Christian Leroy Duncan also made headlines, finishing Claudio Ribeiro with punches in the second round. The fight was one-sided, with Duncan showcasing a variety of attacks. By the second round, Ribeiro had no answers, and Duncan sealed the deal with a flurry of elbow strikes.
Duncan’s now on a two-win streak. Keep an eye on him.
Ludovit Klein also shone, taking out A.J. Cunningham with a front kick and follow-up punches in the first round. Klein’s striking was too much for Cunningham, who was making his UFC debut. The fight ended 4:36 into the first round, with Klein extending his unbeaten streak to five.
Lastly, Loik Radzhabov and Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady threw down in a lightweight bout. Radzhabov ended it 49 seconds into the third round with a series of hammerfists. This win halted Al-Selwady’s five-fight winning streak.
So, there you have it. A night of intense battles and jaw-dropping finishes. UFC Fight Night 238 didn’t disappoint.