Before Justin Gaethje closed out UFC Lincoln with his own impressive knockout, it was Eryk Anders who had the Pinnacle Bank Arena buzzing.
The 31-year-old middleweight opened Saturday’s main card with a bang, crushing Tim Williams with a head kick in the closing moments of the third round that may as well have sent the judges’ scorecards to the shredder.
It wasn’t just the impact that was impressive, it was the timing. Anders threw the fight-ending strike just as Williams was getting up off his back, a move that may have seemed risky at first glance given the often confusing rules surrounding the kicking of grounded opponents.