Welcome to the heavyweight division, Corey Anderson.
Once a top UFC Light Heavyweight contender, the reigning Bellator champion decided to jump up a weight class for his latest fight.
Coming off a title win over Karl Moore at Bellator Belfast in March 2024, Anderson booked his return more than a year later against 2024 PFL Heavyweight Champion Denis Goltsov.
Anderson weighed in at 239 lbs for his heavyweight debut, the 35-year-old holding his own at the inaugural PFL Africa event in Cape Town on Saturday.
The card also features Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen and PFL champion Dakota Ditcheva.
Corey Anderson TKO’s Denis Goltsov to win heavyweight debut
Anderson took a few minutes to get past the jab of Goltsov. After that, ‘Overtime’ closed the distance and took Goltsov down to the ground.
Goltsov got back up relatively quickly after the first takedown, but as the fight went on, it’d get harder and harder for the heavyweight to defend against Anderson.
In the second round, Anderson seized top control off of a takedown. Anderson unloaded major ground and pound strikes as the referee warned Goltsov to escape the position.
After more elbows landed for Anderson, the referee was forced to stop the contest, marking a successful heavyweight debut for Anderson.
Anderson now has wins over six former world champions, including Glover Teixeira, Jan Blachowicz, Ryan Bader and more.
Corey Anderson says he’d fight Francis Ngannou in the PFL
Anderson moved up to the heavyweight division because of the lack of options at light heavyweight.
As far as marquee names go, there’s none bigger than current PFL Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou, a former UFC star like Anderson.
Prior to his win over Goltsov, Anderson entertained a fight with Ngannou—for the right price.
“As long as the money makes sense, I’m all about it,” Anderson told MMA Fighting regarding a potential fight with Ngannou.
“That’s where I’m at in this career. Getting belts and checks, that’s it.”
“If the fight is so dominant they’re like ‘we want you to fight for the heavyweight belt or we want you to fight a super fight against Francis.’ Whatever it is, we’re just going to be prepared,” Anderson said.
Anderson has only lost to former light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov since leaving the UFC in 2020.
Ngannou is coming off a first-round TKO win over PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira in October.