Fresh off the announcement of his grappling match set for later this month, Eryk Anders fans now have even more competition news about the former Alabama linebacker.

Anders will return to the UFC Octagon on December 3 in a middleweight bout against Philadelphia-native Kyle Daukaus. If the fight goes ahead as scheduled, it will be Anders's second of the year and Daukaus's third.

Daukaus (11-3, 1 NC MMA, 2-3, 1 NC UFC) last fought at UFC Austin on June 18, losing by first round knockout to Roman Dolidze. Anders (14-7, 1 NC MMA, 6-7, 1 NC UFC) last fought in May and lost a controversial split decision to Jun Yong Park. Daukaus is the brother of top-10 UFC heavyweight Chris Daukaus.

Get our free mobile app

Anders's grappling was largely ineffective in the Park fight; he missed on over 20 takedown attempts. He will need to fine tune this aspect of his game in order to maximize his chances against a man nicknamed "The D'Arce Knight."

Nine of Daukaus's pro wins came by way of submission. Once again, Anders will boast the power advantage and the striking advantage. Daukaus has yet to record a pro knockout. Anders has eight. If Daukaus cannot bring the fight into his world, he may find himself throwing bombs opposite a former SEC football national champion, which is a less-than-ideal proposition for somebody without a knockout.

The fight is a consequential one for both combatants. Anders has lost two fights in a row and Daukaus is winless in three of four. It's a winnable fight for Anders, but the biggest questions will be how well he can take his striking game to his opponent (and how quickly) and whether he can effectively neutralize Daukaus from a grappling standpoint, if that is where the fight goes.

The pairing was announced on Aug. 10 by Iridium Sports Agency.

Alabama Crimson Tide All-Time Rushing Leaders

Alabama Crimson Tide All-Time Receiving Leaderboard

More From Alt 101.7