When Eryk Anders snatched the mic after his decision win at UFC Fight Night 123 in Fresno, CA, last month, he delivered a clear message: Give me Lyoto Machida in Brazil in the headlining spot. 

In addition to being unique in its specificity, Anders' demand had another defining factor: the UFC listened. Within a few weeks, the undefeated middleweight had his fight with Machida, which now serves as the headliner of UFC Fight Night 125 on Feb. 3 in Belem, Brazil.

So, where did Anders get the inspiration for his pointed callout? Wikipedia, obviously. 

“I was looking on the internet before the fight, before we got on the bus to go over [to the arena],” Anders told the Top Turtle MMA Podcast on FloCombat. “[I was looking at] where the next locations they were going to have [events]. I saw Belem, I knew [Machida] was from there, so I threw that dart.”

Then after looking up Machida’s availability, a matchup with "The Dragon" seemed to be the only one that made sense to Anders.

“The rest of the middleweight division is pretty booked right now,” Anders said.  “He’s available, I’m available, so why not?”

But it wasn’t just opportunity that made the fight desirable for Anders. On top of that existed his strong urge to step into enemy territory. 

“I think it would be real exciting to fight in a truly hostile environment like that,” Anders said. “Fighting a guy in his hometown and all that good stuff, [a] legend of the game and a former champ, I think it would be nice and hazardous in there for me.”

Anders' desire to be the most hated man in the arena isn’t a new mindset for the 30-year-old. Instead, it has followed him his whole life.

“I enjoy it like that as a matter of fact. It’s just always been like that,” said Anders, referencing the college football rivalry games he played in as a former linebacker at the University of Alabama.

And maybe that love for being booed will inspire his next callout. Because should he win against Machida in February, you better believe Anders will have something planned. 

“I don’t do it that far in advance. Maybe the night before the fight,” Anders said. “I don’t have a time or a place as of right now, but when my hand gets raised on February 3, I will.”

By Daniel Vreeland