UFC 244: Corey Anderson Says He’ll go Where People “Respect me”, if Title Shot Isn’t Next

Corey Anderson halted the rise of Johnny Walker in jaw-dropping fashion at UFC 244 on Saturday, and the surging light-heavyweight contender says a title shot better come as a result. In fact, according to Anderson, if it doesn’t, he doesn’t want to be on the UFC roster anymore.

Anderson’s impressive win

Heading into UFC 244, many folks predicted that Anderson’s wrestling could pose a problem for Walker. But, due to the latter’s recent run, which saw Walker take out Khalil Rountree, Justin Ledet and Misha Cirkunov in less than three minutes total, Walker was the favorite to win.

Well, Anderson floored Walker early on with some booming punches, and moments later, he brought about the ref’s stoppage with follow-up shots. With the win, Anderson extended his winning streak to four, which includes victories over other notable contenders like Glover Teixeira and Ilir Latifi.

Anderson’s calls for a title shot

While speaking to the media afterward, the 30-year-old Anderson had this to say about the victory, and his next bout (quotes via MMA Junkie):

“Now I can say I deserve the title shot. I’m the only one in the top 10 that has beat two top-five guys. Dominick Reyes got Chris Weidman. Chris is my man, but he wasn’t on the up and up. Glover Teixeira fought Jon Jones. Ilir Latifi is a powerhouse, and I set records on Pat Cummins. I beat them all. Let’s do it at the end of January. I just have some hunting to do. Money has already been spent, so we’re going to do that and then take care of the big game.”

“Release me. If you don’t want to give me what I’ve earned, let me go. I’m hot. I’ve proved my worth. I’ll go somewhere where somebody’s gonna respect me. A lot of people feel like you need the UFC. … I don’t need the UFC. I love being here. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. I love my job. I love the opportunity to inspire and go around the world to do that. I’ve never been a person to depend on somebody for what I need. If I have to go back working 9-5, I’ll do that. I’ve gotta make sure my family eats. But if I’m out here proving myself, I’m doing what you want. I just did exactly what you want – knockout, excitement? Tell me that’s not exciting. I did that. So they’re still not giving me my worth? Let me go. I’ll go somewhere else.”

You can’t fault Anderson for wanting a title shot, as he certainly delivered a ton of excitement while taking out one of the promotion’s rising stars. But, tensions could rise here between Anderson and the UFC. Due to Dominick Reyes’ KO win over Chris Weidman last month, many believe the undefeated fighter could be net for the 205 champ, Jon Jones.

UFC 244 was hosted by Madison Square Garden in New York City.