Corey Anderson Record, stats and next fight

Analysis

Corey Anderson is an American MMA fighter born on September 22, 1989 in Rockford, Illinois, who came through the UFC and then Bellator before joining the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Nicknamed “Overtime”, he held the Bellator light heavyweight belt before becoming, in October 2025, the first PFL light heavyweight world champion.

Career

Anderson started wrestling as early as elementary school in Rockton, Illinois. In high school, he finished third at the state freestyle wrestling championship. He then continued his studies at Lincoln College, where he earned NJCAA All-American honors, then went through Newberry College before joining the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he placed second at the 2012 NCAA Division III championship while earning a degree in business administration. It was former Bellator and UFC champion Ben Askren who pushed him toward MMA. He made his professional debut in March 2013, at light heavyweight and briefly at heavyweight, on the American regional circuit. He strung together several wins before taking the season 19 Ultimate Fighter final on July 6, 2014 against Matt Van Buren by TKO in 61 seconds, which earned him a spot in the UFC.

UFC career

Anderson fought in the UFC from 2014 to 2020. He notably beat Justin Jones, then Johnny Walker in their respective two stints in the organization, as well as Fabio Maldonado, Tom Lawlor, Sean O’Connell, Patrick Cummins, Glover Teixeira and Ilir Latifi, all by decision or stoppage. His run was also marked by losses to Gian Villante, Mauricio Rua, Jimi Manuwa, Ovince Saint Preux, and twice to Jan Blachowicz. His win over Glover Teixeira in July 2018 was hailed as one of the upsets of the year, while his win over Johnny Walker at UFC 244 in November 2019 earned him a performance bonus. After another loss to Jan Blachowicz in February 2020, he left the UFC in August 2020 to join Bellator.

Bellator career

Anderson made his Bellator debut on November 5, 2020 by beating Melvin Manhoef by TKO. He then entered the organization’s light heavyweight Grand Prix, which he won by beating Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov in the quarterfinal and then Ryan Bader in the semifinal. The tournament final, held in April 2022 against Vadim Nemkov, was ruled a no contest after an accidental clash of heads left Nemkov unable to continue. The two men met again in a rematch in November 2022: Nemkov won this time by unanimous decision. Anderson bounced back in June 2023 by beating Phil Davis by split decision, then claimed the vacant Bellator light heavyweight title on March 22, 2024 by beating Karl Moore by unanimous decision in Belfast. He remains the last holder of that belt before Bellator was absorbed into PFL, an organization that also counted Johnny Eblen among its champions, at welterweight.

Professional Fighters League (PFL) career

Anderson returned to competition on July 19, 2025 under the PFL banner, at heavyweight, beating Denis Goltsov by second-round TKO in a performance dominated by ground work. On October 3, 2025, he moved back to his preferred division to face Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov at PFL Champions Series 3 in Dubai, for the inaugural PFL light heavyweight world title. He won by unanimous decision after five rounds to become the first champion in the belt’s history, his most recent fight to date.

Fighting style

Trained in freestyle wrestling since childhood and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Ricardo Almeida, Anderson builds his game around takedowns and positional control. Coached notably by Bobby Brents at Kennel Fight Club, he applies a style of constant pressure, looking for takedowns to set up sustained ground and pound rather than chasing a quick finish. His record reflects this approach: a large share of his wins come by decision, earned by imposing a wrestling pace over the length of fights, while his TKOs most often come after extended ground-strike sequences rather than a single blow on the feet.

Record

• Professional record: 20 wins, 6 losses, 0 draws, 1 no contest
• Wins by KO or TKO: 9
• Wins by submission: 0
• Wins by decision: 11
• Title: Bellator light heavyweight champion (March 2024 to 2025)
• Title: Professional Fighters League (PFL) light heavyweight champion, since October 2025
• Distinction: winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 19 (2014)
• Distinction: Performance of the Night, UFC 244, against Johnny Walker (November 2019)

Fighter profile

• Full name: Corey Anderson
• Nickname: Overtime
• Born: September 22, 1989, Rockford, Illinois, United States
• Nationality: American
• Height: 6’3″ (191 cm)
• Reach: 6’7″ (201 cm)
• Division: light heavyweight
• Team: Renzo Gracie Academy, Kennel Fight Club
• Coach: Bobby Brents, Ricardo Almeida (Brazilian jiu-jitsu)
• Base: freestyle wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Sources

• en.wikipedia.org
• pflmma.com