Corey Anderson prefers to go for walks rather than talking. He knows the fact that during his career it has influenced some of the opportunities that he has made available to him.
The final Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion once ranked among the top fighters at UFC 205 pounds, but despite impressive wins over fighters like Grabber Teixeira, Yan Bracowitch and Johnnie Walker, it seemed he never approached the title shot. Anderson ultimately sought release from the UFC before signing with Bellator, and he ultimately won the championship, most recently 2024 heavyweight champion Dennis Goltzsov via dominant second round TKO.
Nevertheless, Anderson believes he remains one of the most underrated fighters in the history of the sport, at least in part, which comes down to marketing.
“I’ve never sold myself,” Anderson told MMA Fighting. “I’ve not been on social media all the time. ‘I’m going to knock this guy out,” posting highlights of sparring, beat, and my training and fight. I’m a family member. I’m a family member. Posting around the house with my wife and children.
“I’m very rarely fighting. I’m doing it a little more now, but especially in the casual stage now, it’s about what your social media looks like.”
He was a fighter ranked for most of his combat career, but Anderson doesn’t have the flashiest, fan-friendly style and can’t be mistaken for a prolific garbage speaker. His resume speaks for itself, but Anderson rarely benefits from those performances, even winning over the exaggerated opposition.
The clearest example is Anderson’s knockout against Johnny Walker. Johnnie Walker was being spoken about John Jones’s outlook worthy of attention. At the time, Jones was the governing light heavyweight champion and he desperately needed a new competition, so Walker seemed to fit the bill.
Anderson ended the story after hitting Walker with a BL with a punch to get his first round finish, but it never quickly put him to fame.
“These kids are there. They look at Johnnie Walker’s (social media) page. They know what happened when they fought Johnnie Walker,” Anderson explained. “I recently met the kids at the gym and have UFC shorts and shirts. I saw one and asked if I had got these shorts from the gym?
“You know he knocked out Johnnie Walker, right?” You fought Johnnie Walker! “It knows these people for social media.
Perhaps the most demanding lesson Anderson learned was in a conversation with UFC CBO Hunter Campbell, just before he prepared to face Walker, who could have been a candidate match for the light heavyweight candidate.
“When Hunter Campbell left the UFC before the fight with Johnny Walker, he had a conversation with me and said, “We can’t give you a title fight. You deserve a title fight 100%, but you can’t give it to you because your social media isn’t there,” Anderson revealed. “It’s not who’s the best anymore. It’s about who’s going to put his ass in his seat. Fans decide which best fighter has the biggest social media (below).”
There is no doubt that popularity plays part in matchmaking.
More likely than the current topics around Paddy Pimblett, he could win a title shot against the new UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria. Based on rankings and achievements, Pinblett doesn’t necessarily get that opportunity, but he is a huge star and has really bad blood with Toplia from the unstable interactions between them a few years ago.
Such hostility is selling battles, not to mention that Pinblett and Topria are both legal draws with fans.
That’s a life fact that Anderson has come to accept, but he is not going to try and change his character just to get more attention.
“I’m not even good at fighting anymore,” Anderson said. You need to have just the right social media.
“The guys are getting title fights like Derrick Lewis. He went out and said, ‘My balls are hot’ and got title fights. He gained 2.1 million followers overnight.
With his latest victory in the PFL, Anderson has set himself up to compete in either heavyweight or light heavyweight, hoping there will be a big fight he is waiting for. Former UFC champion Francis Ngannow is probably the biggest award, but Anderson can’t say for certain whether that fight is actually possible.
All Anderson can do now is to continue working hard and try to create the self as invincible as possible for anyone standing across the cage from him.
“It’s time for people to pay tribute to my name,” Anderson said. “I don’t think they’ll do that, but they should. You’ve heard people talking about ‘Coley’s this.’ What am I doing here?
“I don’t care who the name is. When (my manager) Ali (Abderaziz) called me in this fight (brother, I have a fight for you.” Who is it? (he said) Tell me the contract.
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