Once considered one of the premier pass rushers on the 2009 BCS National Championship team, Eryk Anders is still delivering the big hits, only this time, it’s in the cage.

It had been years since he competed on a Saturday night in Tuscaloosa, but former Tide standout linebacker Eryk Anders fell in a second-round submission to Chase Horton in his promoted Mixed Martial Arts debut match at the Killer Buzz Arena, located next to McFarland Mall.

Anders said his passion for MMA sprang from this desire and willingness to compete.

“You know, I just felt the need to compete,” Anders said. “I’d come home from work and sit there and twiddle my thumbs, just not really satisfied with life. I used to wrestle in high school, so one day, I just walked into a gym and started training.”

Most Tide fans remember Anders from the 2009 BCS National Championship game, when he forced a sack and fumble against Texas quarterback Garret Gilbert to seal the Tide’s victory over the Longhorns. Today, the San Antonio, Texas native is aiming to turn heads in the MMA octagon.

Anders said he credits the mental preparation he got while a part of the Tide football team for making a somewhat smooth transition into the MMA scene.

“It definitely gives you mental toughness,” he said. “Sometimes you feel like you want to give up and quit, and I feel like being a football player and athlete my whole life gives me my threshold to go above and beyond and make me that much better.”

Despite being a crowd favorite and surrounded by current and former Crimson Tide football players, Anders faced formidable competition Saturday night. Chase Horton from Sylacauga was listed as the favorite on the fight card and, despite getting manhandled in the first round by Anders, lived up to the hype and forced Anders to tap out, winning by arm-bar submission.

“He was a tough dude,” Anders said. “I should have just kept the fight the way it was going by standing up and taking him down, but like I said, stupid mistake.”

Despite winning the fight, Horton left the arena on a stretcher bound for DCH with injuries to the stomach and a swollen eye. With the loss, Anders still has yet to eclipse six wins, but said he plans to pick up the pieces and move on to the next fight.

“I’m just going to go get back in the gym,” he said. “And just learn from my mistakes.”