Corey Anderson is left in awe of what he accomplished.
The third time was the charm for the light heavyweight fighter as he challenged for the vacant Bellator Light Heavyweight title last weekend in the main event of Bellator Belfast. Anderson went up against the streaking Karl Moore, who had no answers for Anderson’s relentless pressure and wrestling.
‘Overtime’ outworked Moore for five rounds and was awarded the unanimous decision victory, along with his first ever world title.
OVERTIME CAPTURES GOLD! 👑
Corey Anderson captures the Bellator Light Heavyweight Title after his unanimous decision victory over Karl Moore! #BellatorBelfast pic.twitter.com/gAZA1JBVbU
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) March 22, 2024
It’s been a long time coming for Anderson as he was seconds away from dethroning then-champ Vadim Nemkov in 2022. But, things didn’t go Anderson’s way as their title fight was ruled a no-contest to an accidental clash of heads. Anderson lost the rematch to Nemkov later that year in a grueling five-round fight.
Turning Dreams Into Reality
Two fights later, Anderson can now call himself the champ— although, he admits it’s going to take some getting used to.
“It’s kinda hard to put it into words still,” Anderson told TMZ. “I’m still every night having those dreams, even after the night I fought. I remember going back, we fell asleep around like 3:30, 4:00, and I woke up with like a dream, I was preparing to fight for the belt. And I looked over and the belt was on the couch. I’m like, wait, I’m the champ now.
“I’m gonna be at the airport the next day and telling my wife, like, it’s weird. I fell asleep on a plane and still as I’m thinking, I’m thinking of preparing for this title fight. Can’t make no mistakes. I gotta get it. And I wake up, wait. I got the belt now.”
”What Do I Do From Here?”
It’s unfamiliar territory for Anderson as he’s worked his entire MMA career to become a world champion, whether that was in the UFC or this new version of Bellator. After finally reaching the very top of the division, Anderson’s already thinking about climbing the next mountain, wherever that may be.
“So, it was weird because for all these years, I’ve always fought and the next morning or that night, I’m studying, like, who I potentially might fight the next day to get the title. Or I got a title fight, like, I’m studying the champ. Now I’m at that point where it’s like, what do I do from here?” Anderson asked.
“I’m studying film on who I gotta fight next to get to the belt, but it’s like, I’m the champ, I’m the one they study. The targets on my back now, so it’s kinda it’s weird. I don’t think it really I don’t know if it really hit me until I have to get back in the camp again like I’m the champ. And I’m rolling around with one of my sponsors, so now I’m sharing the belt with them and I still feel like I’m preparing to go fight for this thing. I did it. I won it. I got to that point. So it’s a great feeling, but it’s a weird feeling. I’ve been hunting for 11 years. Now I’m the hunted.”
Anderson: ‘No Matter What, I Was Gonna Get It’
Corey Anderson details what went on during his decade-long hunt for gold and if he had any doubts about his destiny.
“Always had that mindset I was gonna get it,” Anderson said of his championship aspirations. “No matter what, I was gonna get it. But then there was always that thought in the back of my head, like I said after the first Nemkov fight, you can’t argue with God’s plans, everything happens for a reason. It happened like that for a reason and maybe it just wasn’t in God’s plans to have it then.”
