Corey Anderson still can not believe the accomplishment he achieved at Bellator Belfast on March 22nd. Anderson was able to clinch the light heavyweight championship. This was the 3rd time Anderson was challenging for this title. Anderson clinched the title by defeating Karl Moore in the main event. In the end, Anderson was able to clinch the title by decision as he used his wrestling to his advantage.
This is the first time Corey Anderson has been able to clinch a title. In his previous attempts, Anderson was about to clinch the title against Vadim Nemkov in 2022. However, during the 3rd round of the fight, there was a clash of heads which stopped the fight. Anderson was granted a rematch, however, ended up on the losing side of a decision (49-46 x2, 48-47).
Corey Anderson in Disbelief of Being a Champion
While Corey Anderson can now officially call himself a champion after clinching the title. It is going to take some time before Anderson will be able to get used to it. Anderson explained the feeling to TMZ when he explained;
“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 is Next for Anderson?
Throughout his whole career, the goal has been trying to clinch the title. After each fight he has been in he has always focused on what is next. However, he is now entering unchartered waters as he is now the one at the top. His whole life he has been preparing for the champion doesn’t matter if he was in Bellator or UFC. Now he is the champion everyone else is trying to challenge him. Explaining what is next for the champion Corey Anderson explained what is next. Anderson also talked about how he has gone from being the hunter to the hunted now he is the champion;
“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 Knew He Was Leaving With the Belt
Corey Anderson admits he was confident he was going into that fight and he was coming out with a title around his waist. While he has been trying to hunt down a title for his entire life. Anderson knew his date with destiny was going to happen and was about to happen in Belfast that night. Explaining this he admitted;
“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.”
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
