Corey Anderson was at his absolute best at UFC Atlantic City on Saturday night.
Atlantic City, NJ — Saturday night’s light heavyweight slugfest between Corey Anderson and Patrick Cummins had no need of overtime. That’s because ‘Overtime,’ as Anderson is now known, dolled out three solid rounds of punishment on route to a lopsided decision. With two judges scoring the affair 30-26 for Anderson (the third, a slightly less generous 30-27), there was never any doubt as to who the better man was at UFC Atlantic City.
Immediately following the bout, Anderson spoke to the assembled media, about what led to the impressive performance, what’s next (not to mention who’s next), and whether he was having fun in the cage on Saturday.
First up, Anderson addressed the critics, who questioned his chin (he pointed out his knockout losses weren’t a matter of chin, but shots to the temple and behind the ear). “I had to go out there and redeem myself,” he said, “and let people know — like the song says, ‘hold on just a minute. You all thought I was finished?’ You really thought this was it for Corey? I’m too young for this. I love this.”
Anderson admitted that Cummins durability “was incredible.” And though he’s now heading out on his honeymoon after getting married on Valentine’s Day, Anderson already has an idea of who he wants next.
“On the way out of the cage,” he said, “I saw Misha Cirkunov, whatever the f*** his name is, sitting there. He had that look on his eye, like ‘it would be a good fight between me and you.'” And Anderson seems to think so as well. “I looked at him and pointed. If you want it, you got it.”
By the end of their three-round war, it looked like Anderson was having fun in the cage. “Of course I did” he said of the suggestion. “Every fight, even the ones I lose. It’s fun. A lot of people don’t get to feel this feeling that we feel. Step in that cage and have the lights on you, hear the crowd cheering, bouncing around, you can feel the wood bouncing underneath. In my head, I find rhythm with that. I time my footwork off that sound, kind of like making a beat in my head.”
“I enjoy it man. Because the cage in the gym does the same thing,” he added. “So if I get that same rhythm going, I know I’m on pace for what I want to do.” Ultimately, “I’m having fun, I’m having a blast. I love this sport, I love the life I live, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Surprisingly, Anderson didn’t just beat Cummins on the feet — he beat him on the ground as well. That’s something he attributes to his coaches, “everyone who helped me with my wrestling from the time I was in third grade until now.”
Anderson dismissed suggestions that “he’s [Cummins] the best wrestler, oh he’s got the record for the takedown ratio, blah blah blah. That’s because all he does is shoot. I punch, I knee, I elbow, I do everything.” In the end, the point was to go out and show who the best wrestler, and best fighter, was. “F*** Patrick Cummins,” Anderson said. “He ain’t nothing but another opponent. I’m about to go out there and show who the best wrestler is. And I got it done. Six shots, six takedowns. You can’t argue with those stats.”
Watch the full post-fight press scrum with Corey Anderson from UFC Fight Night 128 above!
