Eryk Anders has gone from fighting off offensive linemen to fighting off flurries of punches from martial artists.

The former Alabama linebacker signed with MMA company Bellator on Thursday, according to a report from touchdownalabama.net. The middleweight fighter has a 5-0 professional record and will make his Bellator debut Oct. 21 in Memphis, Tennessee, which can be viewed on Spike TV.

Anders played for the Crimson Tide from 2006-2009, with his most notable play coming on a strip-sack of Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert that helped Alabama claim the 2010 BCS National Championship.