In an alternate universe, Corey Anderson might have been a short-notice replacement for Jon Jones had UFC 232 remained in Las Vegas.
In reality, Anderson is one of 25 other fighters on Saturday’s card who was greatly affected by the promotion’s decision to relocate the event to California. UFC 232 was moved from the T-Mobile Arena to the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., after the Nevada Athletic Commission refused to license Jon Jones due to a drug test abnormality.
The man known as “Overtime” is clearly unhappy with the inconvenience the move has caused, as well as the efforts made to accommodate Jones, who has twice failed drug tests in the past. In this instance, however, USADA determined that the trace element of steroid metabolite in Jones’ system was a lingering effect of his failed test in July 2017, not a new violation.
“If we all said no we won’t travel again would they just take Jones off the card and keep it in Vegas?” Anderson wrote on Instagram. Or book 11 new fights, continue the move to LA and keep the main event the same? A lot of money has been spent in travel fees for my family to be in Vegas for this fight. I’m not even mad….just disappointed in the company I bust my ass for EVERYDAY, make sure my piss and blood is clean EVERYDAY and represent myself like a professional EVERYDAY for.
“Just so clowns who sell a lot of tickets and make a lot of money could f—k up EVERYDAY and still get a pat on the back and told ‘worry, it’s not your fault,’ because at the end of the day they sell.”
The rearrangement of travel plans has been particularly difficult for Anderson, whose wife is seven months pregnant and was prepared to fly to Las Vegas.
“I’m also currently on my [five] hour flight to Vegas with my wife, who is [seven] months pregnant on the border of not being able to travel and [spent an hour and a half] walking through Newark s—t show of an airport, now we have to get our s—t, figure out what’s next, load up and hassle through the airport and travel again,” Anderson wrote. The 29-year-old Anderson is coming off back-to-back decision triumphs over Glover Teixeira and Patrick Cummins to establish himself as a rising contender in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. A win over UFC 232 opponent Ilir Latifi, who has won five of his last six in the Octagon, would only serve to boost his status.
“The law says ‘drive sober or get pulled over,’ the UFC should be ‘piss clean or hit the streets’ even if you are making loads of money,” Anderson wrote. “But again I’m not pissed just highly disappointed.”