Thiago Santos handed Eryk Anders a brutal third round beatdown in the main event of UFC Fight Night 137 in Brazil tonight, which resulted in his opponent being unable to return to his stool and the fight being waved off.
Round One:
The main event of the evening is underway in Brazil.
Leg kick from Santos, but Anders catches and counters with a punch. Takedown attempt against the cage from Anders, but Santos staying upright for now.
Santos goes down to one knee and Anders tries to cling on and keep him down, but is unable to. He does however stay tight to Santos as he stand with his back to the cage.
Santos able to step away and soon after lands a solid body kick. High kick attempt from him. Nice left hand connects to the head from Anders.
Santos snaps off a kick that’s blocked on Anders arm as he ducks down. Left hook for Santos as Anders comes into the clinch and presses him against the cage.
Anders looking for a takedown, but Santos lands a couple of elbows. However, Anders does then manage to bring him down, only for Santos to stand straight back up. Santos moves out of the clinch but gets caught with a punch as he does so.
Spinning kick from Santos but it misses. He lands a punch. Anders trying to stalk Santos, but eats a low kick. Anders misses with a head kick attempt and Santos also comes up short with a spinning kick to the body.
Round Two:
Hard body kick from Santos. He comes forward aggressively and fires off punches, but Anders looks to counter and then goes for a takedown. However, Santos gets out from under him and then it’s Anders who drops to his back.
Santos not afraid to go down to the ground with him and blasts off some aggressive ground and pound. Now he stands back up and then waits for his opportunity to drop back down and land more punches.
Now Santos saettles into Anders guard. Anders trying to work upright, but Santos keeps him down and improves to half-guard.
Anders gets back up and eats a knee as he does. Santos unleashes and has Anders in some trouble here. Anders survives for now though.
Body kick from Santos. Anders trying to fire off some punches, but Santos emerges relatively unscathed.
Another body kick from Santos. Anders trying to pressure here. Misses overhand from Santos. Head kick from Anders also wide of the mark.
Another body kick from Santos, followed by another one that’s countered with a punch. Again with the body kick from Santos and then a punch and Anders seems hurt and retreats, then falls to a knee under fire.
However, Anders recovers and then gets a breather due to an accidental eyepoke.
Back to it they go and Anders comes wading forward aggressively and looks for a takedown. He gets it and then Anders lands a big knee to the body as the round ends.
Round Three:
Anders moving forward to start the third round. Chopping low kick from Santos. Another lands and then another. Body kick from Santos, but hard punch in return from Anders.
Anders lands a takedown and connects with punches. Now he takes Santos’ back and puts his hooks in. Four minutes remaining in the round and a strong position for Anders here.
Anders sticks a hand under Santos’ chin, but it’s defended. Anders tries to transition to full mount, but it’s a botched attempt and Santos gets up.
Santos wading in hwith big kicks that backs Anders up across the cage. Anders eating some big shots as Santos throws serious heat at him, but his chin is just about holding out for now.
Anders buys himself some time by getting into the clinch and pressing Santos against the cage. Santos finally gets some space and lands a push kick to maintain distance.
Big knee to the body from Santos. However Anders then lands a takedown. Anders in half guard with 90 seconds to go in the round and landing some elbows.
Santos stands back up, but Anders is working on another takedown. Santos down on his knees, but fending off Anders and then drops down elbows, knocking out his opponent’s mouthpiece.
Ref gives Anders time to put his mouhthpiece back in, but then Santos is back to hammering him with short elbows and then as he goes to his knees drills him with some more hard punches to end the round.
Anders is exhausted and still rocked after that punishing end to the round and he stays sitting on the mat afterwards and then lies back. Now he’s starting to attempt to get back to his corner but he flops back down to the mat twice en-route and the referee has seen enough and waves the fight off, handing Santos an impressive TKO victory at 5.00mins of the third round.
