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Looking to erase a three-fight losing streak, UFC veteran and former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida returns home to Belem, Brazil, to take on rising star Eryk Anders, who is undefeated in his young MMA career. Other fights on the main card include John Dodson vs Pedro Munhoz, Valentina Shevchenko vs Priscila Cachoeira, Michel Prazeres vs Desmond Green, Timothy Johnson vs Marcelo Golm and Thiago Santos vs Anthony Smith.
The first preliminary card, which starts at 7 p.m. ET, can be watched online via UFC Fight Pass, which offers a free 7-day trial.
The second prelim (8 p.m. ET) and main card (10 p.m. ET) will both be broadcast on Fox Sports 1. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch FS1 online, on your phone or on another streaming device by signing up for a free trial of one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
FuboTV: Fox Sports 1 is included in the “Fubo Premier” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and then you can watch Fox or FS1 on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app
DirecTV Now: Fox Sports 1 is included in all four of DirecTV Now’s channel packages. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial no matter what package you choose, and you can then watch on your computer via the DirecTV Now website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app
Sling TV: Fox Sports 1 is included in the “Sling Blue” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app
Preview
Since starting his professional MMA career, Anders, a former University of Alabama football player, has 10 wins in 10 fights. That includes a pair of victories after joining UFC in July of 2017, as he beat Rafael Natal via first-round KO and took down Markus Perez via unanimous decision in December.
Following the latter, he turned his sights toward the 38-year-old Machida.
“(Machida) has a very similar style to Markus’,” Anders said “(He’s) probably a little bit more precise with the strikes. Obviously, much more experienced. A former titleholder. I love the hostile environment. There’s no more hostile place on Earth, I feel like, than in the cage, in a ring, with a Brazilian in Brazil.
“Especially a guy that’s held in such high regard as Lyoto Machida. He’s a little bit better than Markus Perez, and I think I can get there and find that home on that chin.”
Anders’ MMA career is certainly off to a good start, and he has shown some promise, but he hasn’t faced anyone near Machida’s level. “The Dragon” has lost three in a row (second-round submission against Luke Rockhold in April 2015, third-round KO against Yoel Romero in June 2015 and first-round KO against Derek Brunson in October 2017), but he’s a former champion at 205 pounds and former title challenger at 185 pounds. Fighting in front of a home crowd, he’s going to be a significant test for Anders.
“He needs to be careful what he wishes,” said Machida. “It’s very tough when you fight someone like me.”