"Maybe I've punched him too hard" - Jan Blachowicz rips Corey Anderson for claiming he's the best light heavyweight in the world; Bellator star fires back

At Bellator 268, Corey Anderson knocked Ryan Bader out in the first round of their light heavyweight semi-final bout. The win secured him a title shot against current champion Vadim Nemkov.

However, Corey Anderson already believes he is not only the best 205er in Bellator, but the best in the world. That's not a sentiment shared by UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz, who was the last man to defeat Anderson.

Blachowicz posted the following on Twitter in response to Anderson's claims:

"Hold up... So a guy who bolted from the UFC after I've slept him and almost made him retire, got a couple of wins in the 2nd league and claims he is the best? Maybe I've punched him to hard... No class in win or defeat Corey. There's levels to this."

However, whilst Blachowicz did KO Corey Anderson, that was not the only time the two elite light heavyweights competed against each other. In 2015, Corey Anderson won a unanimous decision victory over Blachowicz, which he referenced in his response to the 205-pound UFC king.

"Let's not forget. What happened to you the 1st time I left you looking like elephant man. And you posted 'I need to go home and rethink my career'. Yea I got knocked out in our 2nd fight (lucky punch?) but I made you my broad for 15 min straight nothing lucky about that."

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What is next for Corey Anderson and Jan Blachowicz?

Both Jan Blachowicz and Corey Anderson's immediate next steps in their MMA careers are already mapped out.

Corey Anderson's win over Ryan Bader at Bellator 268 sends him into the final of Bellator's 205-pound tournament, where he will face current champion Vadim Nemkov.

Meanwhile, Jan Blachowicz will defend his belt at UFC 267. As it happens, Corey Anderson already holds a win over the challenger, Glover Teixeira. Should Blachowicz defeat the Brazilian, it appears that a matchup with the chaotic Jiri Prochazka will be next.

Both Corey Anderson and Jan Blachowicz boast one win over each other. However, it doesn't seem likely that a trilogy bout will be made anytime soon, with the UFC and Bellator as bitter rivals as ever.