Hononegah graduate Corey Anderson speaks on switch from UFC to Bellator MMA

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - A Hononegah hook thrower who made it all the way to the top, Corey Anderson knows his way around the octogon. After years in the UFC Anderson takes his talents to Bellator MMA where things are competitive as ever.

“When they finally announced it even then I didn’t believe it,” Anderson said.

A long layoff is about to come to an end for Anderson, the light-heavyweight brawler’s last fight was in April, but Saturday he enters the octogon again.

“The game plan is for you to be you have fun,” Anderson said. “Be Corey Anderson this fight there’s no way you can stop him because when Corey Anderson is Corey Anderson I am having fun.”

In february of last year anderson lost to Jan Blachowicz in his final UFC fight. Anderson decided to move to Bellator MMA a big switch in his career.

“The biggest takeaway is there’s no politics,” Anderson said.

Anderson says he faced challenges in the UFC he did not plan to it forced him to look at things differently.

“I was a subject of the politics, they told me to my face, and it’s hard to believe that they would call me into the office and tell me,” Anderson said. “It was I deserve a title fight, this is pretty much the conversation, you deserve a title fight but you don’t have a following that’s politics. As for here in Bellator it’s you win you move forward.”

Politics aside Anderson’s made his presence known. In November he beat Nelvin Nanhoef to start a win streak, he won again in April. Now Anderson hopes to make it three straight against Ryan Bader.

“Coach said you go out there you do what you do with the hands, the kicks, the takedowns, the movement you put everything together nobody can deal with you,” Anderson said. “You are one of the best, if not the best 205 in the world and now I am at that point where I finally believe I get to go out there and just show it.”

Anderson says his shift to Bellator opened many doors for him. He feels like his fights matter and he can get back to what makes him great.

“I have no parts of my day that I do not enjoy,” Anderson said. “I wake up with a smile on my face, I go to bed with a smile on my face, I don’t go to bed until late because I really don’t want to go to sleep because I’m having so much fun with my day life is amazing.”

Anderson and Bader fight Saturday night in Phoenix. Showtime sports is the place to watch Anderson duke it out. He is on the main card of the pay-per-view event.

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