Corey Anderson Claims Bellator Paying Him More Than UFC, Says Talk With Cormier Led To Signing

A conversation with Daniel Cormier led to Corey Anderson leaving UFC for Bellator.

Anderson left the UFC after a six-plus year tenure to ink a multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA.The fighter, who claims to be getting paid more in Bellator, says he signed with the promotion after coming to a realization while healing from a heart condition.

“I literally came out of the last procedure, rolled into my waiting room and turned my phone on, and had a contract from the UFC for a fight,” Anderson told ESPN. “I agreed to the fight, but then [the opponent] got hurt and they were doing the same thing they did in the past, offering me fights that didn’t make sense for the money I was making. I’m No. 4 in the world and I’m making money like it was my fourth fight in the UFC.”

Anderson also told ESPN that he tried to renegotiate the contract with the UFC, but the promotion wouldn’t work with him. Another huge factor that played a role in Anderson signing with Bellator was a discussion he had with former two-division UFC champion Cormier.

“I used to say I don’t care about the money, that I’m fighting to be the best and I don’t need the money,” Anderson said. “After hanging out with [Cormier], he broke something to me. He said, ‘You know how you say you don’t fight for money? When was the last time you got in a street fight? You don’t fight for free. You fight to pay for your family.’ I said, ‘Let’s see if we can get a little more money for the fight.’ And the UFC wouldn’t budge. I asked for my release and they said, ‘All right, we’ll release him,’ in 20 seconds. I’ve got no anger towards the UFC, but this is how I know my worth to them.”

There is no word yet as to when Anderson will make his Bellator debut.