Eryk Anders meets John Phillips – 'The White Mike Tyson' – at UFC Fight Night 123 in Fresno

The UFC’s return to California in December has another fight ticketed for the lineup.

Eryk Anders (9-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will fight promotional newcomer John Phillips (21-6, 0-0 UFC) – “The White Mike Tyson” – in a middleweight bout at UFC Fight Night 123. Anders announced the fight today on his Instagram account.

UFC Fight Night 123 takes place Dec. 9 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. The event airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

Anders, a national championship winner with Alabama as a college football player, had brief opportunities in the NFL, CFL and Arena Football League before settling into life as a fighter. After winning LFA’s middleweight title earlier this year, he signed with the UFC and knocked out Rafael Natal in the first round in a short-notice fight to stay perfect as a professional.

Phillips, from Wales, has won four straight fights since a loss to Jesse Taylor at Cage Warriors 54 in May 2013. All four of those wins have come by knockout, including three in the first round. And one of those wins was over Conor McGregor teammate Charlie Ward, now in the UFC. But he’ll be fighting for the first time in more than a year.

For more on UFC Fight Night 123, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.