An unresolved re-match since the beginning of this year has been added to the upcoming UFC 263 map as middleweights Eric Anders and Darren Stewart are poised to settle the score with their first fight.
The UFC announced the fight earlier today, just a month before the pay-per-view card was due to take place at the Gila River arena in Arizona.
UFC 263 will have a folded main card of Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori, Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno, and Leon Edwards vs. Nate Diaz. This will be the second full-scale event in the past year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Anders / Stewart rematch will surely attract fans looking to tune into the map early. In their first fight at UFC Vegas 21, the fight was ruled out after Anders unlawfully kneed down a grounded Stewart at the end of the very first round of the fight.
It should also be noted that the rematch will cost £ 205 instead of £ 185 due to the quick turnaround and short notice of the fight booking.
Both fighters enter UFC 263 with a lot of evidence. Anders hasn’t earned a single win since his split decision win over Gerald Meershart at UFC Fight Night 161 in October 2019, while Stewart hopes to bounce back from a tough split decision defeat to Kevin Holland at UFC Vegas 11.
During his post-fight interview after his first fight with Stuart, Anders talked about his frustration at refusing a decision in a fight he had dominated up to this point.
“I sacrificed a lot going into battle,” Anders said. “I held him on the ropes, won the fight and in the heat of the moment made a mistake in judgment.”
The rematch between Anders and Stewart could potentially be an early fight for the Night Candidate at UFC 263, and it’s an undercard fight fans won’t want to miss.
