Getty UFC president Dana White
Former UFC contender Corey Anderson appeared en route to beating 205-pound Bellator champ Vadim Nemkov last Saturday before the fight was called off, and he wonders if Dana White has any regrets.
“Overtime” turned in perhaps the most impressive performance of his 21-fight professional mixed martial arts career, capturing the momentum of the Bellator 277 battle with his wrestling. However, Anderson and Nemkov clashed heads while Overtime was throwing ground-and-pound strikes in the third round, and the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix final was ruled a no-contest due to Nemkov suffering a cut from the unintentional blow.
Anderson recently spoke with Damon Martin during MMA Fighting’s “The Fighter vs. The Writer” segment about his near-title winning and $1-million dollar earning efforts.
“I don’t know if I’d be happy if I had the belt, if those three seconds went off,” Anderson said. “Even though I was dominating, we all saw the way the fight was going, people are always going to say, ‘You didn’t finish him, there’s two rounds left, you never really finished the fight.’ I would have been happy at least to be the champ and they could make the rematch still. They probably would have made the rematch either way because of the way it ended, but I don’t know how I feel to be honest. Cause I don’t have the belt, and I don’t have the million in the safe.
“But I’ve thinking about it. If I had the belt, if those three seconds would have ended it and the fight was over, I’m confident I was going to just to do the same thing the next two rounds if it even went that far. But at the same time, I would love to have that clarity that shows without the head-butt or not, I went out there and dominated.”
Overtime Wonders If White Regrets Releasing Anderson From His UFC Contract
Anderson parted ways with the UFC following his KO loss to Jan Blachowicz in February 2020. At the time, he was ranked No. 4 in the official UFC light heavyweight rankings, as per ESPN, and was not a free agent. In fact, ESPN reported Anderson had “multiple fights left on his deal,” but that didn’t stop the UFC from releasing Anderson to Bellator.
During his interview with Martin, Overtime questioned whether or not the UFC president has any regrets about getting out of the Corey Anderson business.
“In my head, I was like, ‘I wonder how Dana White feels now?’” Anderson said. “I wonder if he saw that fight. I wonder how he feels. Granted, he might not have seen it, but I just wondered does he regret letting me go? Does he regret they didn’t put that energy into promoting me like they did these other guys, now that they can see what I can do with a little love behind me, to feel like I actually belong somewhere. Like they actually want me.
“I don’t miss the UFC, but I wonder if they ever look back and wonder. I wonder what if we actually put that promotion behind Corey, what could have happened? Now they see, the world sees, Corey is the best. You can’t knock it. You can’t say nothing about it.”
Anderson Views Himself as the Best Light Heavyweight in the World
Anderson doesn’t just see himself as the greatest 205-pound combatant in Bellator, Overtime believes he’s the best active light heavyweight fighter in MMA. And considering he holds a victory over current UFC 205-pound king Glover Teixeira, Anderson has a valid argument.
“I am the best in the world, not just in Bellator, but the best,” Anderson said. “I went out there and showed it. I truly felt it and believed it, and now I really, really truly believe it. I expected that fight to be a tough one, but let’s be honest. I’m not going to say it was an easy fight, but at the same time, I made it look like I was the best.
“I made it look like I was the champion. I went out there and fought and did everything I was supposed to do. Like I said, if you go out there and you’re still knocking me now, you’re just a hater.”