Former TUF Winner and current Bellator No.1 ranked 205lb contender Corey Anderson has spoken out to disagree with UFC color commentator Joe Rogan’s claim that fighters outside the UFC are “wasting their career’s.”
“Now yall know I LOVE my guy Joe!,” Anderson wrote on Instagram.
“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. My wife and I both had to have jobs to keep afloat in between fights until my first fight in Bellator. I always say “I make more money in Bellator”, well my last fight ranked in the top 5, and my purse didn’t even make close to 6 figures… that’s 100K… after 7 years, 15 fights, 13 top 15 opponents, and being ranked in the top 10 within my first year. (My debut fight I made 16k). Hell, even to go be on @joerogan podcast, I had scramble to find someone to cover for me at work to go.
“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. Compared to having fewer fans, financial freedom, and set your family up for life after fighting?
“Yes I make that money bc of my start in the UFC but there’s fighters like @ajmckee101 and @patchymix that built that financial freedom in Bellator who may have never gotten it in UFC and also has a fan base! Even @mikechandlermma and @michaelvenompage
“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!
