Bellator 147's Derek Anderson: Hopefully Patricky 'Pitbull' Freire has some pride

Derek Anderson

No sooner did Derek Anderson step out of the cage at Bellator 141 was he jogging down Scott Coker to get another fight.

Anderson had just lost a split decision to Brent Primus, sagging his promotional record to 3-2. But what really bothered him was the performance he’d put on before the scorecards were read. He wanted another shot, quick.

“Instantly after the fight, I talked to Scott and said, ‘Hey, could I get matched up as soon as possible?’ Anderson told MMAjunkie Radio. “I couldn’t even perform in there. The weight cut messed me up.”

It’s not news these days when a fighter suffers complications due to a weight cut. In just a few weeks, the California State Athletic Commission is conducting a “weight cutting summit” aimed at helping athletes make safer choices when shedding pounds for fights.

But for Anderson (12-2 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), the experience propelled him to offer his services to the promotion, whatever opponent they had in mind. As it turned out, it was Patricky Freire (14-6 MMA, 7-5 BMMA).

Anderson and “Pitbull” square off Friday at Bellator 147, which takes place at San Jose State University Event Center in San Jose, Calif. The bout serves on the event’s Spike main card after prelims on Spike.com.

Lately, Freire’s been in the headlines more for his grudge with Bellator lightweight champ Will Brooks, which spilled over into unsanctioned violence prior to Brooks’ title defense earlier this month at Bellator 145.

Anderson is one potential thing standing in the way of the Brazilian and his hopes for a title shot and a showdown with his champion rival. But the American, it’s a chance to redeem himself from a poor showing.

It may also be the bridge to a new direction in his career.

“I’m trying to decide whether or not to move up a weight class,” Anderson said. “If I’m going to stay down here, hopefully there’s a title shot soon enough. If I move up, the same thing.”

Right now, though, it sounds like his fight matches up nicely with Freire, who’s never been afraid of a throwdown.

“I go in there and I’m there to fight,” Anderson said. “I’m not there to dance around and score points and lay on top of somebody. There’s athletes in this sport and there’s fighters, and I’m a fighter.

“I’m going to try to finish him and get it done. I figured just being the better fighter would be enough (against Primus), and then we went to a decision and it wasn’t enough. So you’ve got to go get that win. You can’t just expect to win because you’re better. So I’m going to be going for it, and hopefully he’s got some pride in him being a striker, if he wants to strike it out with me and get some redemption on the feet.

“Hopefully, he wants to bang it out and I show him what’s up.”

For more on Bellator 147, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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