Former Hononegah wrestler wins world MMA title

Former Hononegah Indian wrestler Corey “Overtime” Anderson fulfilled his dream and became a Bellator PFL MMA (mixed martial arts) champion. On Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, he went into Karl Moore’s backyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland and took the Bellator PFL Light Heavyweight  title unanimously.

Anderson used his superior wrestling background from Hononegah High School and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to ground and pound Moore during their five-round battle.

The match was fought on the ground and along the cage. Anderson was easily able to control Moore once they got off their feet. Throughout the match, he positioned his body so that Moore had to continue to carry his weight and try to create space but Anderson kept coming forward and was determined to get his first world title.

With the win, Anderson is now 18-6-0 with 8 knockouts and 10 decisions, including Friday's title match.

Friday’s title fight was scored 49-46, 49-46 and, 50-45 for the unanimous victory over Karl Moore.

Anderson is fighting out of The Kennel Fight Club in Springfield, IL, with his hometown being Rockton, IL. The 6’3” 205 lb. MMA world champion has spoken about possibly moving up in weight classes if he needs to find the best fight moving forward.

In high school, the former Hononegah Indian wrestler earned a third-place finish at the IHSA Championships before moving on to college wrestling and his MMA fighting career.

Thank you to Bellator PR, @CoreyA_MMA and Sherdog for the information and images for the story.