Eryk Anders Defeats Tavares, Retires After UFC Win

LAS VEGAS — Eryk Anders ended his mixed martial arts career on a high note Saturday night, defeating Brad Tavares by unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 114 and announcing his immediate retirement inside the Octagon at the UFC Apex.

The 39-year-old middleweight, a former NFL linebacker, controlled much of the three-round bout against the veteran Tavares, securing scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 from the judges. Anders, entering as a slight favorite, pressed the action early with takedown attempts and clinch work along the fence, landing knees and a late flurry in the first round that briefly rocked Tavares. The Hawaiian fighter responded in the second with a counter right that dropped Anders to the canvas, but Anders quickly reversed position, advancing to mount and landing ground strikes while defending submission attempts.

The third round saw Anders dictate the pace, executing multiple takedowns and accumulating control time to seal the victory. The win marked Anders' 18th professional triumph, rebounding from a knockout loss to Chris Duncan in his previous outing. It also improved his UFC record to 10-9 with one no-contest across 20 appearances.