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 together with his new promotion, the previous Final Fighter winner acquired 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 correct transfer. Sadly, Anderson wasn’t granted the identical type of viewers with PFL executives after the corporate purchased out Bellator on the finish of 2023, which left him with numerous 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 considerations about what precisely PFL has deliberate for them.
“For me, like I stated within the hash tag after I made that submit [on Twitter] about getting old like outdated milk, convey Scott Coker again,” Anderson instructed MMA Combating.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 part he instructed 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 palms on it, I count on you to maintain your phrase. Scott Coker and Mike Kogan and every part Mike Kogan instructed me, I signed and we did a Facetime on [Daniel Cormier’s phone] and every part he stated, he stored his phrase. Scott Coker stored his phrase.
“[PFL CEO] Pete Murray and [PFL co-founder] Donn Davis, I’ve by no means met them. It’s type of like I’m up within the air. I met Pete in Chicago but it surely was throughout the fights so it wasn’t a lot time to sit down down and speak and determine a plan. It’s type 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 battle once more.
Anderson positively understands why Combine and Pitbull are so offended 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 stated. “That’s upsetting at instances. With Scott Coker and Mike Kogan, I by no means actually confused as a result of I do know they gave me their phrase. In the event 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 part so that you’re talking in your title. So Kogan and Coker, they each shook my hand and every part they’ve ever stated — even after I fought Phil Davis and I talked to Coker within the again, he stated ‘your subsequent battle is a title battle.’ Level clean, nothing else. They went to announce the Nemkov battle, he pulled [out]. He instructed me ‘I do know the sale is going on however don’t fear, I promise you your subsequent battle is a title battle, you simply wait. Your subsequent battle goes to be a title battle, it doesn’t matter what occurs.’
“[Bellator] acquired purchased by PFL, [Mike Kogan] known as me with the primary name like ‘hey, first card over in Eire, I instructed you, you bought a title battle, do you wish to go to Eire?’ Sure, in fact! [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 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 stated. “I don’t know what their plans are. On the similar time, from the skin wanting it, it simply appears like guys that haven’t actually spent a lot time in preventing, so that they don’t actually know what they’re doing for the time being. They’re attempting to make enterprise strikes. They’re good at Wall Road sort stuff, shares and earning money, however that’s only a totally different recreation than the battle 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 yr this, subsequent yr that.’ Hopefully, it’s one thing huge. Hopefully we get one thing originally of the yr and get one other one on the finish of the yr. I hope I don’t battle yet one more battle and find yourself sitting on the shelf once more.”
Anderson initially anticipated to return in January after providing and accepting a battle towards longtime rival Vadim Nemkov however the bout was ultimately scrapped and he wasn’t rebooked with a unique opponent.
Since that battle cancellation, Anderson says he’s been promised a battle 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 longer term so financially he’s not in a nasty spot the place he’s probably 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 battle once more.
“I’m at peace,” Anderson stated. “I might like to battle and maintain defending the belt. I actually wish to battle and maintain defending the belt however on the similar time, if one thing got here up the place Bellator crashed in the present day and UFC didn’t wish to choose me again up or I went to the physician and I couldn’t battle 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 part I needed to do. Now I can simply reside life and hang around with my children.”
