Corey Anderson competed on the main card of UFC 232, defeating Ilir Latifi by unanimous decision.
Newly crowned UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones allegedly got some preferential treatment leading into the event, which is something Anderson isn’t happy about.
“I was scheduled to be in the P.I. from 8 to 9, or something like that,” Anderson said after the event. “They told us ahead of time, ‘Schedule your time in the P.I. as soon as you can, because it’s first come, first served, like it always is. So I did that. Weeks ahead. But when it’s time for me to go, I get a call from the P.I. saying, ‘Corey, Jon Jones just called and said he want to come in at 8:30, so you’re not allowed in the building.’ What kind of bull(expletive) is that? We’re all UFC fighters, right? ‘Well, you can come in, you can work in the cardio room, but you can’t go upstairs.’ Well I need to work out, I’ve got a fight coming up, too. I’m the type – I do not curse at others, I don’t go off on anybody, I’m pretty cool, calm and collected. But that was the first time in my career I’ve ever went off on a UFC employee. And my wife was very upset with me. But that’s OK – it bothered me that they treated me like that. I did everything that we were supposed to.”
The event was also moved from Las Vegas, Nevada to Inglewood, California after the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) found an abnormality in Jones’ drug test.
While the alleged preferential treatment began at the UFC Performance Institute, it would apparently continue during the weigh-ins.
“Weigh-in, they said, ‘First come, first served,” Anderson said. “I got down there, I’m on my way to the scale, Jon Jones is coming in the building. Guess what? Who was on the scale first? Jon Jones. How does that work? First come, first served. I don’t like the fact – like I said, we’re all equal. We put on our pants the same. I put my pants on the same way as you, only thing that’s different between me and you is I’m a fighter, you’re a reporter. We’re made the same way. My heart may be a little different, your mind might be smarter. But I don’t like the fact that people put one person on a pedestal.”
Anderson is a top ten ranked light heavyweight in the UFC, meaning he could become a title contender and take those frustrations out on Jones down the line.
