Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The light heavyweight champ was on hand to watch Jan Blachowicz vs. Corey Anderson and had messages for both men.
Corey Anderson had a rough night in Rio Rancho, Texas against Jan Blachowicz, getting knocked out by the Polish light heavyweight three minutes into their main event fight at UFC on ESPN+ 25. Anderson may have hyped himself up a bit too much about his striking skills after that Johnny Walker win. Instead of using his wrestling to wear Jan down early while he was at his most dangerous, Corey stood with him and ate a knuckle sandwich straight down the gullet that put him flat on the canvas (watch the finish here).
”Beastin’ 25/8” is a bit of a polarizing figure with fans. After several years of generally being ignored, he ratcheted up the self-promotion and positioned himself as the outsider the UFC wanted to fail. He also started talking a whole lot of trash about UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones. Some agree with him that he’s been woefully overlooked by everyone while others argue that he’s ridiculously overhyped.
So in addition to all his haters celebrating his KO loss on Saturday night, he also had Jones throwing shade at him on social media … using Anderson’s own words no less.
I knew he was beatable. Was the one that always said, ‘I know I can beat Jon, I know ways to beat him.’ I see the holes. I see what you got to do to beat him. Dom went out there and did pretty much a lot of it,” Anderson said to TMZ Sports. “
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) February 16, 2020
“He went out there and did another blueprint of things that I had already seen.”
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) February 16, 2020
“I was happy to see Corey Anderson eat his words,” he told ESPN after the fight. “He’s been talking so much trash. And then to go out there and perform the way he did … yeah.”
Jones had a front row seat to the destruction and spent the moments after the fight hyping up the crowd and welcoming a fight with Blachowicz.
Unfortunately for Jan, there’s a good chance that match-up will have to wait until Jones and previous challenger Dominick Reyes take care of unfinished business. Many believe Reyes should have beaten Jones on the scorecards at UFC 247 earlier this month, and once again we think the mixed perception of Corey Anderson will come into play – this time to Jan Blachowicz’s detriment instead of Corey’s.
Whatever is next for Jones, it could happen sooner rather than later.
“I’m ready to go, I’m completely healed from my last fight as you can see,” Jones said. “No black eyes and everything. Face, body, mind, heart is all ready to go so let’s do this. I’m ready to go, I’m freakin’ fired up!”