It’s been a irritating yr for Corey Anderson exterior of successful the vacant Bellator gentle heavyweight title again in March.
Whereas that second allowed him to attain a lifelong dream to carry a championship belt, the following 9 months that adopted didn’t present a title protection or any sort of battle as he remained on the sidelines simply ready for the PFL or Bellator to guide his subsequent bout. After studying that previous viral Vadim Nemkov was returning in January at a PFL card in Dubai and his unique opponent Ante Delija was injured, Anderson jumped on the probability to seize that chance even when it meant transferring as much as heavyweight.
“I reached out to Bellator and Mike Kogan proper then and I used to be like yo, if that is true, I would like this battle,” Anderson instructed MMA Combating. “They stated [Ante Delija is] damage. [Bellator] stated ‘we haven’t heard nothing about it’ after which in a while they had been like ‘I suppose he’s damage, I don’t know if he’ll take the battle or what not however I’ll see, I’ll do what I can for you, I do know you really need this battle, I’ll do my finest.’
“This ain’t about cash for me. We’ve obtained to settle this beef. We’ve obtained to determine the true finest. We’re 1-1, we each know one another’s video games, let’s get a full camp in and let’s get it going.”
The primary assembly noticed Anderson dominate Nemkov for almost all of the battle however then an unintentional conflict of heads resulted within the matchup being declared a no-contest. Within the rematch, Nemkov made the mandatory changes and placed on an almost shutout efficiency to beat Anderson by unanimous choice.
Anderson revealed Bellator truly had plans to guide the trilogy again in 2023 however that’s across the similar time Nemkov determined he was leaving the 205-pound division to pursue fights at heavyweight.
However Anderson was very happy to pack on a number of kilos to lastly settle the rating with Nemkov and he was over the moon to listen to his dream battle was truly going to occur after his supervisor Ali Abdelaziz shared the information with him.
Even Anderson was in disbelief.
“I referred to as Bellator and stated ‘hey, Ali simply referred to as me and stated they accepted the battle, is he pulling my chain? Is he simply speaking or is he for actual?” Anderson recounted. “[Bellator] stated ‘no, we actually obtained it performed. We had been shocked, too, they agreed to the battle.’ For actual.”
With that, Anderson began planning across the holidays so he might journey from his residence in Indiana out to Las Vegas to begin his coaching camp earlier than then transferring again out east to complete issues up in New Jersey.
After arriving in Las Vegas to start working with coach Eric Nicksick at Xtreme Couture, Anderson began listening to rumors that maybe Nemkov wasn’t truly going to battle him once more.
Anderson noticed an interview translated from Russian the place Nemkov denied even being provided the battle however he made a name to PFL and Bellator executives, who as soon as once more assured him all the pieces was good to go for January.
Then the underside fell out.
“Thursday evening, getting my final exercise in earlier than I’m going to dinner, I choose up my cellphone, my cellphone goes off and it says ‘he’s doing it once more,’” Anderson stated. “What do you imply he’s doing it once more? ‘Now he doesn’t need to battle once more, he says he wants extra time to arrange for you, you’re too robust an opponent to arrange for on quick discover.’
“On quick discover? It’s seven or eight weeks out, we fought twice, what are you speaking about?”
Anderson says Bellator officers instructed him to proceed coaching and they might work on Nemkov with hopes of getting the battle finalized. Barely 48 hours later, Anderson obtained the information he didn’t need to hear.
“I get up Saturday morning on the point of go to sparring at 7:30 and my cellphone had an electronic mail ‘simply go forward and scratch it, we’ve been going at him all day, about 24 hours and he’s giving a tough no,’” Anderson relayed. “He needs one other opponent. He doesn’t need you. He’ll take one other opponent, he needs to remain on the cardboard.’
“At first I used to be like he doesn’t need to keep on the cardboard in any respect and [they said] ‘he requested to remain on the cardboard, he actually needs to battle — he simply doesn’t need to battle you.’ I’m wanting on the cellphone like what? This may’t be proper. No manner he stated that. [Bellator] stated ‘no, he actually stated he needs to battle, he simply doesn’t need to battle Corey Anderson this battle.’ So I used to be like so it’s over? Yeah, it’s over.”
So Anderson packed up all the pieces and ready for a visit residence with no indication about when he may battle once more exterior of PFL and Bellator officers assuring him he would battle before later.
Whereas getting energetic once more is certainly essential to Anderson, he actually needed the Nemkov battle greater than the rest and now he’s starting to comprehend that trilogy might be by no means going to occur.
“I instructed you some time in the past earlier than he moved to heavyweight, I consider he was afraid of me,” Anderson stated. “Now I do know for a reality. I don’t need to consider it. I don’t need to assume it. Now I do know. This man is scared. There’s no cause why you’ll ask for an additional opponent and also you didn’t need to battle me. It’s what it’s.
“Dot the I’s, cross the T’s, it’s proper there. He doesn’t need to battle me. He scared to battle me. You bought scared. It was time to go to the altar, you bought chilly ft and ran. That’s all proper. I’ll take it. I get it, you’re afraid of me. Thanks.”
As of now, Anderson doesn’t know when he’ll battle once more however he’s nonetheless hoping for someday in early 2025. The one factor Anderson can say for sure after a rotten finish to what began out as an incredible yr for him is that he’s successfully moved on from the Nemkov battle, particularly if rumors are true that the Russian is competing on the ultimate battle of his present deal.
“I really feel like after this, he’ll in all probability by no means take the chance to battle me once more,” Anderson stated about Nemkov. “One, he knew I needed the battle in order that’s on him, he’ll end [his contract] on the excessive notice. We’ll by no means do the trilogy. By no means an opportunity of me beating him once more. Two, I simply really feel like if it retains coming, he’s going to search out one other manner out of it.
“Dec. 22 would be the longest I’ve been out, which is 9 months. The longest earlier than that was earlier than the Johnny Walker battle. It’s very irritating, particularly getting older. Ya’ll hold telling me we’re going to get a battle booked however I’m coaching on a regular basis, twice a day, and it’s not like I’m a 20 some yr previous child. I’m 35. The physique doesn’t heal the identical. It’s sort of irritating. However on the similar time, I put my religion in God, he’s going to maintain it on the finish of the day.”
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