Tag: Vadim Nemkov

Video: Whose legacy will be impacted most between the two Bellator 297 title fights?

We discuss how Yoel Romero, Vadim Nemkov, Sergio Pettis, and Patricio Freire could have their legacies impacted in a big way at Bellator 297.

Bellator has one of the biggest events in its history Friday in Chicago with two title fights at the top of the bill.

In the main event of Bellator 297, [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] puts his light heavyweight title on the line against former UFC title challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag]. In the co-feature, [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] returns from injury to defend his bantamweight title against featherweight champ [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag].

Nemkov is in the conversation for the best light heavyweight in the world, and if he’s victorious against the always-dangerous Romero, his argument will only strengthen. If Romero wins at 46, he will have an incredible achievement in the late stage of his career.

Freire is attempting to make history again, as he looks to claim a world title in a third division. Questions surround him about his weight cut for this one, but also, Pettis may have some rust to knock off after being out of action since December 2021.

Who has the most on the line here? History and legacies are at play, but which outcome has the biggest impact? Would it be Romero’s late title run? Would it be Freire daring to be great, and even going further for a fourth title at flyweight? Will a Pettis victory place him among the greats at 135 pounds?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Mike Bohn, Dan Tom, and Brian “Goze” Garcia answer those questions with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode below.

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Bellator 297 video: Why Yoel Romero ‘faced off’ with Vadim Nemkov virtually from his hotel bed

Bellator’s headlining champs and challengers had their first faceoffs of fight week Wednesday 1,350 feet in the air – absent one key player.

CHICAGO – Bellator’s headlining champs and challengers had their first faceoffs of fight week Wednesday 1,350 feet in the air … absent one key player, though.

Light heavyweight champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) puts his title on the line against [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) in the Bellator 297 main event.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA) chases history when he tries to add the bantamweight title to his current featherweight belt. He challenges 135-pound champ [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) in the co-feature, and a win will make him the first fighter in Bellator history to have titles in three different divisions.

Wednesday, the fighters took questions from the media at a press conference at the Skydeck at Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), Chicago’s tallest building. At 1,451 feet, the Willis Tower is the 23rd tallest building in the world, third tallest in the U.S. and has the tallest public viewing area of any building in the country.

But Romero elected to stay at the host hotel in downtown Chicago rather than go to the 99th floor of the building. Romero, he said, is afraid of heights. He joined the press conference through a video feed in his hotel room. That meant no faceoff for the main event, but there were three others.

Check out the highlights from the co-main event faceoff in the video above, as well as the faceoff between [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) and former light heavyweight champion [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] (24-6 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) and an appearance from Chicago’s own [autotag]Daniel James[/autotag] (15-6-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), a heavyweight contender who opens the main card against Gokhan Saricam (8-2 MMA, 4-2 BMMA).

Bellator 297 takes place Friday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 297.

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Why champ Vadim Nemkov is happy Yoel Romero fight was delayed to Bellator 297

Vadim Nemkov thought his initial booking with Yoel Romero was too quick of a turnaround.

CHICAGO – Bellator light heavyweight champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] believed his initial booking with [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] was too quick of a turnaround.

Nemkov (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) was scheduled to defend his title against Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) at Bellator 290 in February – less than three months after winning the promotion’s grand prix final against Corey Anderson.

Nemkov ended up withdrawing due to injury, and the pair have been rebooked for Friday’s Bellator 297 headliner at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

“I’m actually happy that this fight is happening (Friday) since I have the previous fight and the time between these two fights would have been very short,” Nemkov told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter. “So right now I have more time to prepare properly.

“I had more time to prepare myself and be in better shape this time. When you’re preparing for a fight that goes five rounds, five minutes each, you have to prepare harder, and you have to have more time to get prepared. This is why it’s very hard to fight every three months for five-round fights.”

Nemkov, a Sambo champion, will be taking on Olympic silver medalist wrestler Romero. But based on what he’s seen from Romero recently, he expects a stand-up battle.

“We both can wrestle, and we both can strike,” Nemkov said. “But I watched the last couple of fights from him, and I know myself. It’s probably not gonna be too much wrestling in this fight.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 297.

Bellator 297 pre-event facts: Patricio ‘Pitbull’ can be first to achieve triple champ status

Check out all the facts and figures about Bellator 297, where Patricio Freire is on the cusp of an unprecedented MMA accomplishment.

The biggest Bellator event of the year so far goes down Friday with Bellator 297, which takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims streamed on MMA Junkie.

A championship doubleheader is featured on the top of a loaded card. In the main card, [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) will attempt to make his third light heavyweight title defense when he takes on [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA). The co-headliner, meanwhile, sees the return of bantamweight titleholder [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), who attempts to defend against current featherweight and former lightweight champ [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (35-5 MMA, 22-5 BMMA) in a potentially historic affair.

For more on the numbers behind the two title fights, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about Bellator 297.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (March 27-April 2)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements 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 or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from March 27-April 2.

Bellator 297 heads to Chicago with Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero, Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Pitbull

A massive Bellator card is headed to the “Windy City” with two titles on the line.

Bellator is headed back to Chicago, and two title fights are coming with it.

The promotion has booked Bellator 297 for June 16 at Wintrust Arena where light heavyweight champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) will face [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) in the night’s headliner. In the co-main event, featherweight champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA) drops to bantamweight to challenge 135-pound titleholder [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 9-5 BMMA).

Promotion officials confirmed the news to MMA Junkie on Monday after an initial report by NBC Sports Chicago. The event will air on Showtime after prelims streamed on MMA Junkie.

Nemkov and Romero were originally expected to square off at Bellator 290 in February. However, Nemkov withdrew from the bout. Nemkov is coming off his grand prix-winning title defense against Corey Anderson in November. He has not lost since 2016.

Romero, 45, makes his first Bellator title challenge after multiple tries at middleweight gold in the UFC. Since joining Bellator in 2021, Romero lost a split decision to Phil Davis in his promotional debut before back-to-back wins over Melvin Manhoef and Alex Polizzi.

In what will be his Bellator bantamweight debut, Freire aims to pick up a title in a third weight class with the promotion. A former lightweight champion, Freire has reigned as featherweight champion since 2017 – with the exception of a nine-month period after a loss to A.J. McKee. In a rematch, Freire avenged his previous defeat before more recent victories over Adam Borics and Kleber Erbst.

Pettis, 29, is set to compete for the first time since he won the Bellator bantamweight title with a spinning backfist knockout of Kyoji Horiguchi in December 2021. Pettis was scheduled to compete in the ongoing Bellator bantamweight grand prix but withdrew prior to its start due to an ACL tear.

With the additions, the Bellator 297 lineup includes:

  • Champion Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero – for light heavyweight title
  • Champion Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Freire – for bantamweight title

Bellator champ Vadim Nemkov receives contract extension

Vadim Nemkov isn’t leaving Bellator anytime soon.

[autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] isn’t leaving Bellator anytime soon.

On Monday, Bellator announced a contract extension has been reached with its reigning light heavyweight champion. No specific terms were released other than it’s a “multiyear, multifight” deal.

“Vadim Nemkov was another athlete that we wanted to make sure we had on the Bellator roster for the foreseeable future. He’s a huge part of one of the divisions that we feel is the strongest in all of mixed martial arts,” Bellator president Scott Coker said in a statement. “Our light heavyweight tournament showcased that we have the top talent in the world at 205 pounds, and we’re proud to be able to retain such a talented fighter to continue to lead that division. I am looking forward to seeing Vadim in exciting matchups in 2023 and beyond.”

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Nemkov (16-2), 30, has been a force in Bellator since his debut in August 2017, going 8-0 with one no contest in nine appearances. Nemkov most recently took a unanimous decision from Corey Anderson this past November to win the promotion’s light heavyweight grand prix and $1 million prize. Nemkov and Anderson fought to a no contest caused by an accidental clash of heads seven months earlier.

Earlier in the tournament, Nemkov, a pupil of Fedor Emelianenko, beat Phil Davis by decision and Julius Anglickas by fourth-round submission. Nemkov became Bellator light heavyweight champion in April 2020 with a second-round TKO of Ryan Bader.

Nemkov was slated to defend his title against Yoel Romero next month at Bellator 290, but the bout was scrapped after Nemkov was forced to withdraw. It’s expected to be rescheduled later this year.

Bellator in 2022: A robust look at the stats, streaks, skids, and records

A full recap of Bellator’s most significant footnotes and milestones from the events, fights and individual performances of 2022.

Another year is in the books for Bellator.

The promotion hosted 17 fight cards to maintain its status among the top dogs in the MMA space. During that time, many records were set and a host of historic moments were produced.

Now that the year has come to a close, here are some of 2022’s most significant fights and individual performances.

Bellator 290 gets Johnny Eblen vs. Anatoly Tokov title fight with Nemkov-Romero off

Bellator’s first event in the new year has a new title fight to take the place of one that will head to the back burner.

Bellator’s first event in the new year has a new title fight to take the place of one that will head to the backburner.

The new Bellator 290 co-main event in February will be a middleweight title fight between champion [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) and challenger [autotag]Anatoly Tokov[/autotag] (31-3 MMA, 7-0 BMMA), a teammate of Fedor Emelianenko, who challenges Ryan Bader for the heavyweight title in the headliner. Bellator officials announced the new fight Tuesday.

The middleweight title bout takes the place of the originally announced co-main event between light heavyweight champ [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA), which officials said in a news release is “unable to take place as scheduled.”

Bellator 290 takes place Feb. 4 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., just outside Los Angeles. For the first time in promotion history, the main card will air on CBS in a nationally televised prime time broadcast. The card also will stream on Paramount+. Prelims will stream on MMA Junkie.

Eblen won the middleweight title at Bellator 282 in June when he dominated Gegard Mousasi on the scorecards for a 50-45 unanimous decision sweep. The wrestling standout beat John Salter in March to put himself in position for a title shot.

Tokov beat Muhammad Abdullah with a first-round TKO at Bellator 282 for his seventh straight win, all under the Bellator banner. In October 2021, Tokov returned after a two-year layoff and took a split decision from Sharaf Davlatmurodov.

With the change, the Bellator 290 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (CBS, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Ryan Bader vs. Fedor Emelianenko – for heavyweight title
  • Champ Johnny Eblen vs. Anatoly Tokov – for middleweight title
  • Sabah Homasi vs. Brennan Ward

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Neiman Gracie vs. Michael Lombardo
  • Jaylon Bates vs. Jornel Lugo
  • Henry Corrales vs. Akhmed Magomedov
  • Karl Albrektsson vs. Grant Neal
  • Chris Gonzalez vs. Max Rohskopf
  • Diana Avsaragova vs. Alejandra Lara
  • Ethan Hughes vs. Yusuf Karakaya

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Nov. 14-20)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements 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 or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from Nov. 14-20.