When Corey Anderson requested for his launch from the UFC and finally signed with Bellator, he hoped for the perfect for his future however even he couldn’t have predicted how issues would play out.
Only a day after signing together with his new promotion, the previous Final Fighter winner obtained 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 precise 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 record of Bellator fighters expressing considerations about what precisely PFL has deliberate for them.
“For me, like I stated within the hash tag once I made that publish [on Twitter] about getting old like previous milk, convey Scott Coker again,” Anderson informed 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 informed 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 anticipate you to maintain your phrase. Scott Coker and Mike Kogan and every thing Mike Kogan informed me, I signed and we did a Facetime on [Daniel Cormier’s phone] and every thing he stated, 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 nevertheless it was through the fights so it wasn’t a lot time to sit down down and discuss and determine a plan. It’s form of like an unknown. I don’t know what their plans are. It’s daunting at instances since you don’t know.”
Whereas Anderson has overtly 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 struggle once more.
Anderson undoubtedly understands why Combine and Pitbull are so indignant over the scenario and it actually comes all the way down to an absence of communication from the PFL.
“There’s no actual plan,” Anderson stated. “That’s upsetting at instances. With Scott Coker and Mike Kogan, I by no means actually burdened as a result of I do know they gave me their phrase. In case 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 stated — even once I fought Phil Davis and I talked to Coker within the again, he stated ‘your subsequent struggle is a title struggle.’ Level clean, nothing else. They went to announce the Nemkov struggle, he pulled [out]. He informed me ‘I do know the sale is going on however don’t fear, I promise you your subsequent struggle is a title struggle, you simply wait. Your subsequent struggle goes to be a title struggle, it doesn’t matter what occurs.’
“[Bellator] obtained purchased by PFL, [Mike Kogan] known as me with the primary name like ‘hey, first card over in Eire, I informed you, you bought a title struggle, do you need to go to Eire?’ Sure, after all! [He said] ‘I’ll get your contract.’ A person of his phrase. That’s huge for me.”
Greater than a yr after the PFL and Bellator merger, Anderson nonetheless hasn’t really spoken to his new bosses with Kogan remaining his main level of contact inside the group.
“With Donn and Pete, I haven’t talked to them,” Anderson stated. “I don’t know what their plans are. On the identical time, from the skin trying it, it simply seems like guys that haven’t actually spent a lot time in preventing, in order that they don’t actually know what they’re doing for the time being. They’re making an attempt to make enterprise strikes. They’re good at Wall Avenue kind stuff, shares and making a living, however that’s only a totally different sport than the struggle sport so I simply don’t know their plans.
“Who is aware of. They could have one thing deliberate. You retain seeing Donn publish on Twitter ‘subsequent yr this, subsequent yr that.’ Hopefully, it’s one thing huge. Hopefully we get one thing at first of the yr and get one other one on the finish of the yr. I hope I don’t struggle yet one more struggle and find yourself sitting on the shelf once more.”
Anderson initially anticipated to return in January after providing and accepting a struggle in opposition to longtime rival Vadim Nemkov however the bout was ultimately scrapped and he wasn’t rebooked with a special opponent.
Since that struggle cancellation, Anderson says he’s been promised a struggle in early 2025 however there’s nonetheless nothing official a lot much less a bout settlement coming throughout his desk.
Fortunately, Anderson all the time 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 proscribed and every passing day solely makes him query when or if he would possibly get to struggle once more.
“I’m at peace,” Anderson stated. “I might like to struggle and preserve defending the belt. I actually need to struggle and preserve defending the belt however on the identical time, if one thing got here up the place Bellator crashed at present and UFC didn’t need to decide me again up or I went to the physician and I couldn’t struggle once more, I may 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 reside life and hang around with my youngsters.”
