When Corey Anderson requested for his launch from the UFC and finally signed with Bellator, he hoped for the very best for his future however even he couldn’t have predicted how issues would play out.
Only a day after signing along with his new promotion, the previous Final Fighter winner received the prospect to sit down down with Bellator president Scott Coker to debate his future and together with assurances from matchmaker Mike Kogan, he knew he made the best transfer. Sadly, Anderson wasn’t granted the identical form of viewers with PFL executives after the corporate purchased out Bellator on the finish of 2023, which left him with a whole lot of questions which have by no means been answered.
As 2025 quick approaches, Anderson has already been out of motion for the previous 9 months and he’s becoming a member of a rising listing of Bellator fighters expressing issues about what precisely PFL has deliberate for them.
“For me, like I mentioned within the hash tag after I made that submit [on Twitter] about getting older like previous milk, deliver Scott Coker again,” Anderson advised MMA Combating. “As a result of for me that was the promoting level for me. When me and Scott sat down and had breakfast the day after I signed and every thing he advised me he caught to his phrase. That’s the factor. If I meet you nose to nose and also you inform me one thing and we shake arms on it, I count on you to maintain your phrase. Scott Coker and Mike Kogan and every thing Mike Kogan advised me, I signed and we did a Facetime on [Daniel Cormier’s phone] and every thing he mentioned, he saved his phrase. Scott Coker saved his phrase.
“[PFL CEO] Pete Murray and [PFL co-founder] Donn Davis, I’ve by no means met them. It’s form of like I’m up within the air. I met Pete in Chicago however it was through the fights so it wasn’t a lot time to sit down down and discuss and work out a plan. It’s form of like an unknown. I don’t know what their plans are. It’s daunting at occasions since you don’t know.”
Whereas Anderson has brazenly expressed his frustration with PFL, which included a Christmas day message aimed on the promotion over his lack of exercise regardless of contractual obligations, he’s by no means gone so far as demanding his launch from the group.
That’s not the case for reigning Bellator champions Patchy Combine and Patricio Pitbull, who’ve each requested a launch from their contracts because the fighters proceed toiling away on the sidelines with no clear indication on when both of them will combat once more.
Anderson undoubtedly understands why Combine and Pitbull are so indignant over the state of affairs and it actually comes all the way down to an absence of communication from the PFL.
“There’s no actual plan,” Anderson mentioned. “That’s upsetting at occasions. With Scott Coker and Mike Kogan, I by no means actually harassed as a result of I do know they gave me their phrase. Should you’re an actual man and also you shake my hand and also you look me within the eye, you’re going to maintain your phrase. I don’t care what the contract says. Your phrase is your bond. Your final title is every thing so that you’re talking in your title. So Kogan and Coker, they each shook my hand and every thing they’ve ever mentioned — even after I fought Phil Davis and I talked to Coker within the again, he mentioned ‘your subsequent combat is a title combat.’ Level clean, nothing else. They went to announce the Nemkov combat, he pulled [out]. He advised me ‘I do know the sale is going on however don’t fear, I promise you your subsequent combat is a title combat, you simply wait. Your subsequent combat goes to be a title combat, it doesn’t matter what occurs.’
“[Bellator] received purchased by PFL, [Mike Kogan] referred to as me with the primary name like ‘hey, first card over in Eire, I advised you, you bought a title combat, do you wish to go to Eire?’ Sure, after all! [He said] ‘I’ll get your contract.’ A person of his phrase. That’s large for me.”
Greater than a 12 months after the PFL and Bellator merger, Anderson nonetheless hasn’t truly spoken to his new bosses with Kogan remaining his major level of contact inside the group.
“With Donn and Pete, I haven’t talked to them,” Anderson mentioned. “I don’t know what their plans are. On the identical time, from the skin wanting it, it simply seems like guys that haven’t actually spent a lot time in preventing, so that they don’t actually know what they’re doing in the mean time. They’re making an attempt to make enterprise strikes. They’re good at Wall Road kind stuff, shares and creating wealth, however that’s only a totally different recreation than the combat recreation so I simply don’t know their plans.
“Who is aware of. They may have one thing deliberate. You retain seeing Donn submit on Twitter ‘subsequent 12 months this, subsequent 12 months that.’ Hopefully, it’s one thing large. Hopefully we get one thing originally of the 12 months and get one other one on the finish of the 12 months. I hope I don’t combat yet another combat and find yourself sitting on the shelf once more.”
Anderson initially anticipated to return in January after providing and accepting a combat in opposition to longtime rival Vadim Nemkov however the bout was finally scrapped and he wasn’t rebooked with a special opponent.
Since that combat cancellation, Anderson says he’s been promised a combat in early 2025 however there’s nonetheless nothing official a lot much less a bout settlement coming throughout his desk.
Fortunately, Anderson at all times deliberate for the long run so financially he’s not in a foul spot the place he’s doubtlessly going broke with out preventing in order that’s not a burden weighing down on him.
Nonetheless at 35, Anderson is aware of his time left within the sport is restricted and every passing day solely makes him query when or if he may get to combat once more.
“I’m at peace,” Anderson mentioned. “I might like to combat and hold defending the belt. I actually wish to combat and hold defending the belt however on the identical time, if one thing got here up the place Bellator crashed right this moment and UFC didn’t wish to choose me again up or I went to the physician and I couldn’t combat once more, I might actually stroll away from the sport and say I did 12 years, I gave it my all. I went into the sport with zero expertise, received The Final Fighter, made it to the massive present, received my belt, I’ve completed every thing I needed to do. Now I can simply dwell life and hang around with my children.”
