Corey Anderson (16-5, eight finishes) will run it again in opposition to Vadim Nemkov (15-2, 13 finishes) on Friday night time at Wintrust Enviornment in Chicago as the 2 headline Bellator 288 (9 p.m., Showtime) with each Nemkov’s mild heavyweight championship and the $1 million prize for successful the Gentle Heavyweight World Grand Prix on the road. Anderson, who had the higher hand till an unintentional conflict of heads led to the primary battle being declared a no contest in April, just lately chatted by way of Zoom with The Submit’s Scott Fontana for this week’s Submit Struggle Interview Q&A session.
Q: Frankie Edgar has been a serious a part of your profession. Along with his profession coming to a detailed at UFC 281, what would you say has been probably the most rewarding a part of observing him up shut?
A: Frankie is my mentor. He’s the particular person I look as much as. … He’s the individual that, if I've questions, I attain out to him; he helps me out. He helped me by means of a whole lot of issues. If it wasn’t for Frankie, I wouldn’t have the life I've. Frankie modified my life, him choosing me first in “The Final Fighter,” the place they noticed me, [and] invested the time in me.
Q: It’s been nearly six years because you moved on from one of many extra memorable nicknames in MMA: Beastin’ 25/8. You might have stated you’d nonetheless reply to it; how typically do you hear it lately?
A: I heard it 3 times at the moment within the fitness center. If anyone’s speaking about working onerous, he goes, “That’s Beastin’ 25/8.” It simply follows me; that’s it. And it’s OK. I nonetheless embrace it. It’s nonetheless who I'm. It was simply not the battle nickname. It’s now the corporate identify.
Q: You’re from Illinois, however you’ve educated in New Jersey now for about eight years. What’s finest and worst concerning the Backyard State?
A: The perfect factor: Everyone right here [is] on the hustle. I don’t assume any of my pals work for anyone. All my shut pals are entrepreneurs, are hustling, they [have] bought their very own enterprise. … The worst factor about New Jersey is all people’s at all times late, and all people’s at all times impolite (laughs).
Q: How did getting a while within the cage with Nemkov inform your coaching for this rematch?
A: We simply took good, and we constructed off of it. And we took the dangerous, and we discovered from it. The dangerous was, like, what he caught me with, what I did mistaken, and we'd like to verify we don’t try this mistaken. We bought away with that proper hand being down in that second. He might’ve threw a punch or kick that might have price you. We gotta guarantee that doesn’t occur. Or, if I threw a kick or one thing, it was simply gradual. We gotta velocity that kick up. So, we took all of the issues we did dangerous and constructed off it. However that’s not simply in that battle; we try this with each battle. … It’s an outdated battle now. We’re not frightened about that battle. We’re not going into fights anticipating the identical factor to occur, however we’re going to take all the data and intel that we picked up from that battle — and the intel we all know he picked up for me — and we bought to only change it, just a bit bit, to the very fact we’re gonna throw him off just a little bit totally different.
Q: What would imply extra for you: Successful the Bellator mild heavyweight title or successful the $1 million prize that comes with capturing the Grand Prix crown?
A: Recognition and being a champion. That’s it. That’s all I ever got here within the recreation for. Earlier than I left the UFC, I sat down with these guys and advised them, “I don’t care about incomes cash. I don’t care about being thrilling to get more cash. I simply wish to get the belt. I’ve earned my shot on the belt. Let me get that; that’s all I need. I wish to exit and earn it. ‘Oh, we will’t till you get extra thrilling. We’re gonna get viewers and stuff.'” I don’t care concerning the viewers. I don’t care about fame. I went to go choose up my go well with, and so they go, “Corey’s well-known.” I’m like, “Don’t say that.” “Say what?” “I’m well-known.” Folks know me extra as a result of I’m on TV, however I hate the phrase well-known. I don’t wish to be well-known. I don’t wish to be well-known. Folks publish within the feedback, like, “Oh, Corey, you look homeless.” That’s good. Mission completed. I don’t need anyone to know who I'm after I’m out. That’s the explanation why I gown the way in which I gown. I need you to stroll proper previous me like one other particular person. Don’t — I don’t thoughts an autograph, however I don’t need you to be drawing consideration to me in public. You realize what I imply? I actually simply wish to get the belt, put it on the wall, come residence. I can inform my household every single day, “I’m the most effective.” My children develop up, and I can share that reminiscence with them. “Yeah, we gained this. Once we went to Chicago that point, y’all don’t keep in mind, however after we took that enterprise journey is after we gained.” That’s what it’s about for me: being the most effective. All the pieces else is hogwash.
Q: Do you recall your first expertise watching MMA?
A: My first expertise watching combined martial arts was watching Matt Hughes versus GSP [Georges St-Pierre], the second [fight]. … Matt Hughes went to the junior school I went to. On the time, my brother watched combating, used to play the UFC recreation. He’s an enormous fan of Carlos Newton and all these guys. However I by no means paid any consideration to it until one weekend, my staff was like, “Yo, we’re going to Buffalo Wild Wings to observe some fights.” I’m like, “What fights?” I’m simply bored in my dorm. I’m like, “I’ll go.” And that’s my first time seeing it. Then shortly after, I met Matt Hughes myself; he’s coming in to work out with us. Him, Robbie Lawler, and all the blokes from H.I.T. Squad would come down. And even then, I had no curiosity. I by no means actually paid consideration a lot after that. The following battle I watched was Anderson Silva versus Chael Sonnen, when Anderson Silva submitted him with that triangle with [1:50] left. And I keep in mind going into “The Final Fighter,” when all people’s speaking about all these fights and stuff, I had began combating however I nonetheless wasn’t watching combating. Frankie Edgar was most likely the primary — apart from Matt Hughes — big-name man I truly had an interplay with. After which after that, there was like, “Oh, Renzo Gracie is right here.” I’m like, “Who's Renzo Gracie?” “Are you kidding me (laughs)?” So for me, it wasn’t till after “The Final Fighter” [that] I actually bought into it.
Q: Typical walkaround weight between fights?
A: About 235, 240 [pounds]. Will depend on if I’m heavy coaching or if I’m heavy lifting.
Q: Typical weight on battle night time?
A: I prefer to stroll in about 225
Q: Favourite post-fight meal?
A: It relies upon the place we're. We’re gonna be in Chicago, so I’m gonna go to Lou Malnati’s and get me a complete deep dish to myself, you already know what I’m saying? After which I’m gonna go over to Portillo’s and get me an Italian combo, and we’re gonna go some place else. I bought considered one of my Korean buddies there, so he bought his household on the market that owns a Korean restaurant; we’re gonna go hit that (laughs). So I’m gonna hit just a little little bit of the whole lot. However it is determined by the place we're and what the state is understood for.
Q: What’s the good approach in fight sports activities?
A: Blast double, man, Ain’t nothing cooler than a blast double. You ever seen one other man take one other man off his ft, simply by taking pictures on him? That’s simply attractive.
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