Outside Source
Corey Anderson destroyed Denis Goltsov in a heavyweight bout on July 19. | đ·: PFL MMA
Former Bellator MMA champion Corey Anderson has no desire to slow down. In fact, he wants to remain active as both a light heavyweight and heavyweight in the Professional Fighters League.
Anderson hopes to address some unfinished business after his second-round technical knockout of Denis Goltsov at 2025 PFL Africa 1 on July 19. Goltsov entered their encounter in Cape Town, South Africa, on a four-fight winning streak that saw him claim the 2024 PFL heavyweight championship and the million-dollar prize that accompanied it some eight months earlier. He was no match for Anderson.
âGetting that win was huge,â Anderson told Sherdog.com. âNot just good, it was great. Having been off for a year, my wife, my coaches and teammates, everything was tedious with this camp. My wife wrote me a note before the fight telling me I was going to be great, and we did just that. When you go out there and get a victory like that and your wife believes in you like that, itâs great. We had said Goltsov was going to be a one-round fighter, and with my pace, he was just that. I couldnât have asked for anything better.â
Anderson believes he has plenty of options from which to choose, whether it be as a heavyweight or back at 205 pounds.
âI fit in everywhere,â he said. âEverybody has been taking me out of the 205 rankings. Put me back. Iâm not done. Iâm going to fight at 205, [and] Iâm going to fight at heavyweight. I just gave myself more opportunities, more names, more checks, more belts, more everything. Itâs put me in a great position where I can just do so much now. You call me with a name, whether itâs heavyweight or itâs 205, we can do it all. I can defend the 205 belt and I can win the heavyweight belt and defend them both until I walk away from the sport and say I did that.â
The victory over Goltsov was part of history for the PFL, as it became the first major mixed martial arts organization to stage an event on the African continent.
âIt was awesome to be part of it,â Anderson said. âI look back at it, and I look at the pictures from there every day. It wasnât just about being around Cape Town. It was the significance of the night. When people look back in the history books about the first big fight in Africa, Iâm going to be etched in that forever. Not only will I be etched in it, but I went out there as a 205-pound champion, went up a weight class as an underdog and defeated the 2024 PFL heavyweight champion. When you look back at it all, itâs a heck of a story.â
Anderson had some pointed words for Russian rival Vadim Nemkov. The two men have met on two previous occasions, resulting in a no contest at Bellator 277 and a five-round unanimous decision for Nemkov at Bellator 288.
âI was hoping they gave me the mic in South Africa because I know somebody that was shaking like booty meat back in Russia that didnât want me calling his name,â Anderson said. âWe know youâve been running. You went to heavyweight and thought you were going to get away, but I came here and wrecked shop, baby. If you want to go back to 205 and fight there, Iâll be there. If you want to go up to heavyweight, Iâll be there. I want to smack them cheeks one more time, and this time, Iâll get my hand raised.â
Though talk of a Nemkov trilogy piques his interest, Anderson prefers to keep his options open.
âIf Nemkov wants to keep running, I heard Dovlet Yagshimuradov is an opportunity; and we got both PFL world tournaments going on, so whoever wins those could be an option,â he said. âYagshimuradov or the tournament winners or whoever wants the smoke. Just give me a contract, [and] put a belt on the line. Itâs time for me to collect because that is all mine.â
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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