Corey Anderson set to make Bellator MMA bow against Melvin Manhoef
Corey Anderson (13-5) has been signed to a multi-fight deal by Bellator MMA after spending the last six years with the UFC and he won't be wasting any time targeting the light-heavyweight crown if he gets his way. "If I'm dismantling people, I'll get a title shot"
Wednesday 4 November 2020 08:25, UK
They say a change can be as good as a holiday and Corey Anderson says he is feeling liberated ahead of his highly anticipated Bellator bow this week.
Anderson's decision to leave the UFC surprised some sage analysts in the world of mixed martial arts.
But 'Overtime' says Bellator's culture will allow him to be himself in the cage, starting with his showdown with big-hitting Melvin Manhoef - live on Sky Sports.
"I've got a new energy, a new feel going on. In the UFC, I had all the stress because I was at the top. All the things they were saying I had to do to get a title shot. I was trying to prove something. Now I'm just the new guy on the block, trying to get a win and make my name known," Anderson said from pre-fight quarantine in Connecticut.
When all is said and done, a UFC title isn't going to pay for my kids' college tuition or pay the bills.
Anderson boasts many fighting assets, but his overwhelming advantage in most contests is his elite-level wrestling skills.
He felt he wasn't allowed to lean into that in the UFC, which, he believes, views stand-up combat as the most effective way to court public interest.
"The thing I like about coming to Bellator is it's just about getting the job done, getting the 'W' Prior to this, I was always fighting to make an impression. They told me in the UFC I had to do something 'to get the needle to move'.
"Now I feel like I don't have to worry about that. I go out there and I win and I dominate. If I'm dismantling people, I'll get a title shot. It doesn't matter how I win."
For Anderson, the ethos at Bellator is more in tune with the original notion underpinning mixed martial arts - technicians from many different disciplines meeting to see what approach works best.
"It's called mixed martial arts. Not rock 'em sock 'em robots! The plan is to go out there and be the best mixed martial artist you can be. If a guy is going to out strike you, a mixed martial artist knows you've got to take him down.
"From boxing to kick boxing, wrestling, judo, Jiu-Jitsu, all the different things. In some places it seems like we're losing that aspect of the sport. Now it's about, 'who's going to sell the most tickets? And the only way you're really going to sell tickets is by knock outs'."
Anderson himself was knocked out in his final contest in the UFC in February. And he says the brutal nature of the loss to Poland's Jan Blachowicz, coupled with the thinking time allowed by the lockdown, lead to his decision to switch organisations and revert to his natural style.
"I was reflecting on a lot of things… my life, my career. Before I was thinking about getting the win, but I wasn't thinking about the cheque part. I wasn't thinking about the fact I have a family now. I have a wife with a kid and another one on the way. I have to worry about taking care of them. When all is said and done, a UFC title isn't going to pay for my kids' college tuition or pay the bills."
Lockdown also allowed Anderson to spend more time with his toddler son, Corey Junior and pondering his boy's future made him realise he had to fight in the way best suited to his assets - not seek out attention-grabbing slugfests.
"The blessing of the pandemic was I got to spend more time with my son. And now he's like my little man, my little best friend. When he gets older, and plays football or wrestles or whatever he does, I want to do it with him. I want to teach him, but I can't do that if I'm punch drunk or can barely put together a sentence or can't walk.
"I should be fighting to preserve my health. I shouldn't be fighting to impress people. Get the fight. Get the win. Get the cheque and get out of there. Get home to my family and be happy, healthy and safe."
While a more measured approach for Anderson will likely revolve around grappling, his opponent in the early hours of Friday morning (UK time) will almost certainly be letting his hands and feet go from distance.
Melvin Manhoef, 44, is a 25-year veteran of MMA and has an explosive history in the sport. Twenty-nine of his 32 career wins have come via knockout. Although, Anderson feels the Amsterdam-based former kickboxer has mellowed.
"I know he's going to throw punches and kicks as that's his style. I don't think he'll come out as furious as he's used to be. In the last couple of fights that we've seen, he's slowing it down. He's becoming more composed," said Anderson.
"I'm going to be paying attention. Watching his hands, his chest, looking for him to swing big. That's his plan. He's going to swing for the fences, to try and catch me or hurt me or drop me."
Anderson declined to share a detailed vision for his own route to victory. But he assured his fans, his intention remains to dictate the terms of engagement from start to finish on his debut.
"The only thing I've ever predicted since college is domination," he said. "I don't train to go out there and keep it close. The plan is from start to finish, you lead the dance. Just know that Corey is going out there to dominate."
You can watch Corey Anderson's Bellator debut on Sky Sports Mix from 12am Friday.
