Corey Anderson Criticises Joe Rogan’s Remarks On Career, Emphasises Money Over Fame
Bellator’s Corey Anderson has slammed Joe Rogan’s comments in calling for MMA fighters to sign up for the UFC to avoid wasting their careers.
The UFC is the leading MMA organization but faces competition from the others. The PFL’s acquisition of Bellator has increased the competition on offer. PFL’s Donn Davis has outlined plans for a ‘champions vs. champions’ and ‘Bellator International Champions Series’ event in 2024.
The PFL also received an investment of over $100 million from the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund through SRJ Sports Investments. Despite that, Rogan called on fighters to switch to the UFC. This is even though fighters could earn bigger paydays outside of the UFC. Francis Ngannou’s decision to leave the UFC and sign with the PFL earned him the right to box Tyson Fury. That secured him the highest payday of his career. And yet, Rogan had this to say.
Rogan On The UFC
“No disrespect to the other organizations, there’s very good fighters in the other organizations, but I often feel like they’re wasting their career. Because I see these elite fighters that are fighting in Bellator or PFL, and I’m like, ‘Hey guys, no one’s watching,” Rogan stated
Now, Anderson has had his say on it. Anderson has been out of the sport since his bout with Phil Davis at UFC 297. Anderson secured a split-decision win to take his record to four wins out of six fights in Bellator. That is a respectable record since he left the UFC in 2020. That is why Anderson had no issues with how his career was going.
Anderson On The UFC
“Now y’all know I LOVE my guy Joe! But as someone who spent 7 years in the UFC and left at #4 in the organization. Fans seeing me fight wasn’t enough to pay bills or even begin to set my family up for a future. Yet my first fight in Bellator I made 5x more and was able to free my wife of a job and focus fully on my career as a fighter for the first time ever.
“SOOOOO what good is it to have a fan base when I still have to work everyday to afford life… So if you want fans and stardom… yes, you have a better chance in the UFC. But if you want to make money… test the field and go where the money is. FAME DOESN’T PAY BILLS. MONEY DOES,” Anderson said
The UFC has been accused of not paying fighters what they deserved. This has resulted in a lawsuit against the organization by former fighters who accused the UFC of breaking anti-trust laws. It is alleged the UFC formed a monopoly to control how much a fighter was paid, much to their detriment.
But to secure the biggest paydays, fighters need more competition. The rise of MMA fighters going into crossover boxing fights has been partly due to their desire to secure a bigger purse. So, fighters may have to weigh up the priority: currency or legacy.
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