Tag: Vadim Nemkov

Corey Anderson: Trilogy fight canceled because Vadim Nemkov wants ‘easier opponent’

Well, it seems like the trilogy won’t happen after all.

[autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] may not have a fight after all.

Saturday, Anderson (18-6) indicated his recently announced trilogy vs. [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] at a Champions Series event Jan. 25 in Dubai won’t happen. While there’s been no official word from PFL pertaining to the status of the fight, Anderson said Nemkov (18-2) doesn’t want the bout – and thus, it is off.

“Breaking announcement, folks. The trilogy will not be happening,” Anderson said in a post on X. “I woke up to a text this morning from PFL and Bellator saying, ‘Vadim refuses to fight you.’ Per being their words is, ‘You’re too tough of a fight for him, as he says.’ But he wants to stay on the card and fight a lesser opponent. You can’t make this stuff up, man. How do you call yourself the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the organization but you’re scared to fight somebody you already fought twice on seven week’s notice. Anyway, you all know me. I’m ready. I’m game whenever it is. Wherever, whenever, whoever. As soon as I signed a contract, I jumped on a plane to Vegas. Now, I’m at the airport, going to fly home early. There’s no point in training if the fight ain’t happening.”

Nemkov was initially announced to fight Ante Delija, though independent reports disputed the matchup’s viability due to an injury with the latter.

Anderson was among the Bellator champions who spoke out publicly in frustration about the lack of bookings from Bellator. Days later, the fight vs. Nemkov was announced. Anderson and Nemkov have fought twice before. The first meeting was ruled a no contest due to an accidental clash of heads. The rematch was a unanimous decision for Nemkov.

With Ante Delija out, Vadim Nemkov to fight Corey Anderson at Bellator Champions Series event

Vadim Nemkov and Corey Anderson will square off for a third time at Bellator Champions Series: Road to Dubai on January 25.

[autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] and [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] will square off for a third time at Bellator Champions Series: Road to Dubai.

With Ante Delija out, Nemkov (17-2-1) now faces Anderson (18-6-1) in a heavyweight bout Jan. 25 at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, promotion officials announced Wednesday.

Nemkov and Anderson fought twice before in title fights. Their first outing in the Bellator grand prix final in April 2022 ended in a no contest after an accidental headbutt rendered Nemkov unable to continue. Anderson was largely in control before the inadvertent clash of heads ended the fight in Round 3.

The pair ran things back seven months later when Nemkov was able to outpoint Anderson to win a unanimous decision at Bellator 288. Anderson rebounded with a win over Phil Davis at Bellator 297 and on the same night, Nemkov successfully defended his light heavyweight title against Yoel Romero.

However, Anderson couldn’t get his desired rubber match after Nemkov opted to vacate his title and move up to heavyweight. As a result, Anderson claimed the vacant light heavyweight title by beating Karl Moore at Bellator Champions Series: Belfast last March. Meanwhile, Nemkov submitted Bruno Cappelozza in the second round to capture the PFL vs. Bellator Super Belt in his return to heavyweight.

With the addition, the current lineup includes:

  • Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes – for lightweight title
  • Corey Anderson vs. Vadim Nemkov

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator Champions Series: Road to Dubai.

PFL adds Ante Delija vs. Vadim Nemkov to Bellator Champions Series: Road to Dubai on Jan. 25

A pair of former champions will throw down at Road to Dubai: Champions Series.

A pair of former champions will throw down at Bellator Champions Series: Road to Dubai.

[autotag]Ante Delija[/autotag] (24-6) takes on [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (17-2-1) in a heavyweight bout on Jan. 25 at Coca-Cola Arena, promotion officials announced Friday morning.

Unbeaten in his past 13 fights, former Bellator light heavyweight titleholder Nemkov returned to heavyweight in his past outing, submitting Bruno Cappelozza in the second round to capture the PFL vs. Bellator Super Belt.

2022 PFL heavyweight champion Delija saw his five-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Valentin Moldavsky at 2024 PFL 1 in April.

With the addition, the current lineup includes:

  • Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes – for lightweight title
  • Ante Delija vs. Vadim Nemkov

Vadim Nemkov def. Bruno Cappelozza at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions: Best photos

Check out these photos from Vadim Nemkov vs. Bruno Cappelozza at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions in Saudi Arabia.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag]’s technical submission victory over Bruno Cappelozza at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions, which took place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photos courtesy of PFL)

 

PFL vs. Bellator: Champions video: Vadim Nemkov puts Bruno Cappelozza to sleep with arm triangle

Bellator’s Vadim Nemkov competed at heavyweight and submitted 2021 PFL season winner Bruno Cappelozza in Saudi Arabia.

[autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] has been one of the best light heavyweights on the planet for a while, and appears to be just as dangerous as a heavyweight.

On the main card of PFL vs. Bellator: Champions, Nemkov (18-2) stepped into the cage as a heavyweight for the first time since 2016. The Bellator light heavyweight champ took on Bruno Cappelozza (15-7), submitting the 2021 PFL heavyweight champ at 2:13 of Round 2.

The heavyweight bout took place on the main card at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The opening round was filled with intense striking exchanges. Both powerful fighters connected with punches and kicks, but Nemkov put together the more meaningful combinations. Cappelozza did not stop coming forward despite being consistently met with resistance from Nemkov.

In Round 2, Cappelozza appeared to be building some momentum. A hard right hand appeared to wobble Nemkov, and he rushed in to capitalize. However, Nemkov changed levels for a takedown and took top position. A moment later, the arm triangle was sinched in, putting Cappelozza to sleep.

Check out video of the finish below (via X):

In addition to picking up yet another win for the Bellator side, Nemkov became the first to take home the “Super Belt” awarded to some of the main card winners. Boxing legend Mike Tyson entered the cage to present the award to Nemkov.

Nemkov has recorded 12 straight wins without a loss, a streak that stretches back to 2016, before his Bellator run began in 2017.

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Up-to-the-minute results of PFL vs. Bellator: Champions include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL vs. Bellator: Champions.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Jan. 15-21)

Check out the UFC, PFL, and Bellator fights that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC, PFL, and Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Jan. 15-21.

Vadim Nemkov officially vacates Bellator light heavyweight title

Now a heavyweight, Vadim Nemkov has given up his light heavyweight title, Bellator officials confirm to MMA Junkie.

[autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] no longer holds a Bellator title.

Now a heavyweight, Nemkov (17-2) has officially vacated the Bellator light heavyweight title, a promotion official confirmed Tuesday to MMA Junkie.

Nemkov had previously revealed to MMA Junkie in August his intention to move up a weight class and acknowledged forfeiture of championship status would likely result.

“I’m getting older and every fight is getting harder for me to cut weight,” Nemkov said. “Let’s say that before I felt comfortable when I was training at 103kg (227lbs). Now, I feel even more comfortable at 106-108kg (233-238lbs). When I train right now, it’s 103kg. I feel less strong and dangerous. It’s not the same as I am at 106-108kg. … It’s a new challenge for me. I’ve done everything I can at light heavyweight. Now, it’s a new challenge to go up in weight and get another title. At 205, I don’t see anything new for me.”

Nemkov, 31, was regarded as arguably the best light heavyweight outside the UFC prior to his move up in weight and has not lost in 12 straight fights. He returns Feb. 24 on the PFL vs. Bellator: Champions pay-per-view event in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia against 2021 PFL heavyweight champion Bruno Cappelozza (15-6).

Video: Which 2024 PFL matchup is most intriguing?

PFL has a few interesting matchups ahead in 2024, but which one are we looking forward to the most?

The PFL is going big early in 2024 with an event that will see its champions take on Bellator’s titleholders.

The champion vs. champion event is expected to take place in Q1 2024, with a date and venue to be determined soon. The premise is interesting because it does answer a question that often arises in conversation: Which promotion has the best champion?

We get to answer that question next year between PFL and Bellator, but which matchup is the most intriguing?

[autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jesus Pinedo[/autotag], [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag], and [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] are all possibilities for the event. But the matchups don’t stop there. There’s more fights to be made between the two rosters, and other PFL bouts to be made, including [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s return.

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Our “Spinning Back Clique” of panelists Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and Brian Garcia and host George Garcia discuss which potential fight for 2024 excites them the most.

Watch the video above to see the discussion, or check out the entire episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.

Vadim Nemkov announces move to heavyweight, says he’ll likely vacate Bellator light heavyweight title

Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov turns course toward heavyweight.

[autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] has long been considered one of the best light heavyweights in the world – and now he’s looking to add some more weight to his reputation.

With his mentor [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] retired and out of the promotion’s heavyweight division, and the weight cuts to 205 pounds becoming more challenging, Nemkov (17-2 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) has finally made a big career decision.

After training camp’s worth of consideration, Nemkov has decided he will move to heavyweight for his next bout – and plans to likely vacate the Bellator light heavyweight title, which he currently holds.

“I spoke to Fedor when everything was happening the last couple of fights. We decided I’m moving up to heavyweight,” Nemkov told MMA Junkie on Wednesday through a Russian interpreter. “I’m getting older and every fight is getting harder for me to cut weight. Let’s say that before I felt comfortable when I was training at 103kg (227lbs). Now, I feel even more comfortable at 106-108kg (233-238lbs). When I train right now, it’s 103kg. I feel less strong and dangerous. It’s not the same as I am at 106-108kg.

“It’s a new challenge for me. I’ve done everything I can at light heavyweight. Now, it’s a new challenge to go up in weight and get another title. At 205, I don’t see anything new for me. It’s going to be rematches with the fighters I already fought. I’d keep going back to the fighters I already met. … Probably, I will vacate (the title). Yeah, I will vacate the belt and move to the heavyweight division.”

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Nemkov, 31, is widely perceived as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters outside the UFC. He already holds wins over the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 promotion-ranked fighters at light heavyweight. He has not lost in 12 straight fights and holds a win over current Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader.

Although he won the first head-to-head meeting by TKO, Nemkov (17-2 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) wants another crack at Bader, given that Bader defeated Emelianenko and fellow training partner Valentin Moldavsky in the time since their original August 2020 clash. Bader (31-7 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) is set to fight Linton Vassell (24-8 MMA, 12-5 BMMA) at Bellator 300 on Oct. 7.

“I am definitely looking forward to seeing the Vassell fight with Bader,” Nemkov said. “Whoever wins, I’d definitely like to fight them. … Honestly, I fought Bader once, but Bader fought Fedor and Valentin Moldavksy as well. Bader looks completely different at heavyweight and he fights different. It would be interesting for me to fight him. But if Vassell is going to win, it’s going to be an interesting fight for me as well.”

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Given the Bader vs. Vassell fight is two months away, Nemkov knows a fight vs. the winner could take a while to materialize. With that in mind, Nemkov is open to taking one non-title heavyweight fight beforehand.

“I understand one thing,” Nemkov said. “The fight is going to happen in October: Bader-Vassell. After this fight, the champ will have to rest a little bit. I know there is going to be some fights maybe in Japan. I would maybe take a warm-up fight because I don’t want to wait long for a fight.”

Bellator has yet to comment on Nemkov’s proposed plans.

Video: Which UFC or Bellator headliner shined brightest?

Vadim Nemkov, Jared Cannonier and Sergio Pettis each had standout performances, but who was tops this past weekend?

Between the two UFC and Bellator events this past weekend, three outstanding performances took place in headliners and title fights.

First at Bellator 297 on Friday, [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] dominated Yoel Romero to successfully defend his light heavyweight title by unanimous decision with three scores of 49-46 in the main event. And in the co-headliner, bantamweight champion [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] returned from a long injury layoff to deny Patricio Freire’s bid to become a triple champ with a lopsided unanimous decision that included two 50-45 sweeps from the judges.

Then at UFC on ESPN 46 on Saturday, [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] made a strong statement as he set a middleweight division striking record while pummeling Marvin Vettori to win a unanimous decision.

With that being said, we ask: Who shined the brightest this past weekend?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Mike Bohn discussed the development with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch the conversation in the video above. And don’t miss this week’s full episode below.