Corey Anderson is currently ranked #6 in the light heavyweight division and coming off two consecutive victories, one over Patrick Cummins and the other over Glover Teixeira at July’s UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Smith card. The 28-year-old Anderson believes his time is now and has tried to secure the next title shot at Daniel Cormier before Cormier faces Brock Lesnar and rides off into the sunset. Cormier accepted Anderson’s challenge but in a very informal manner.
One potential name who many believe might skip Corey Anderson in the title shot conversation this year is someone who is not even currently ranked in the division. That man, of course, is the elephant in the light heavyweight room, Jon “Bones” Jones. But when asked how Anderson would feel if Jones leapfrogged him for a title shot at Cormier, Anderson had to concede that it would make sense for Jones to get an immediate title shot:
“If it was like a Brock Lesnar who’s lost his last two fights, then got popped, came back and got a title fight…that, I feel (that’s) wrong because there’s guys like Curtis Blaydes that deserve their actual title shot,” Anderson said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show. “I still say, Jon Jones has not been beat.
“You know, every time somebody talks to me, ‘What do you think?’ I always say, ‘Jon Jones’s biggest enemy or biggest opponent right now is himself. He screws himself up every time.’ You can’t take away what he’s done.
Whether he was on steroids or not when he won, he’s won. The fighter IQ, he’s got that. And if he got that shot, it’s like, you can’t really be mad about it because he hasn’t been beat.
Of course if Corey Anderson were granted a shot at Cormier ahead of Jones, he wouldn’t be one to complain. He also wouldn’t complain if he had the opportunity face Jones himself:
“But would I like to get the opportunity before him? Yeah, I’d like to fight him for the opportunity.”
Do you agree with Corey Anderson that it would be OK for Jon Jones to get an immediate light heavyweight title shot upon his eventual return?
