Tag: Vadim Nemkov

Bellator 288 pre-event facts: Patricky Freire can take sole possession of all-time knockout record

Check out the numbers behind Bellator 288, where all four title competitors are fighting for history.

Bellator returns on Friday for its penultimate event of 2022 with Bellator 288, which takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

A championship doubleheader serves at the top of the card. In the main event, [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (14-2 MMMA, 7-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) will try for a second time to determine the Bellator light heavyweight and grand prix champion when they meet in a rematch of their April fight that ended in a no contest due to a head butt.

The co-headliner, meanwhile, will see lightweight gold up for grabs as [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) looks to kick off his reign with a defense against the unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov pupil [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA).

For more on the title fights, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about Bellator 288.

Vadim Nemkov promises ‘a different performance’ in second fight against Corey Anderson at Bellator 288

Vadim Nemkov believes Corey Anderson is in for a different fight at Bellator 288.

CHICAGO – Bellator light heavyweight champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] walked away from his last bout with the title, but not in a manner anyone anticipated.

In April at Bellator 277, Nemkov (15-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) faced Corey Anderson in the final of the light heavyweight grand prix. After an accidental clash of heads in the third round that caused a nasty cut on Nemkov’s forehead, the bout was stopped and declared a no contest.

Although Nemkov won the first round on all scorecards, Anderson (16-5 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) began pulling ahead in the fight after taking control with his wrestling game. The champ believes he knows why that happened, and why it won’t happen again when they meet in the main event of Bellator 288 at Wintrust Arena.

“I didn’t really learn anything new in the time that we fought, because everything that I already knew about him he displayed,” Nemkov told reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day. “We know that he has really good wrestling, good ground control. He’s got good endurance and is very durable. So, I prepared for that for the first fight, and I’m preparing the same way for the second fight.

“There were some factors in the first fight that attributed to my decline. Because I started out pretty well in the first round, actually on the scorecards, I think it was even going into the third round. Then the decline happened and it’s largely because my camp was very long. The date (of the fight) kept changing, and I just kept staying in this peak shape. I feel like I peaked before the fight date, so on the fight date, I was kind of already exhausted.”

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This time, Nemkov believes there will be no fatigue in the wrestling game, something that Anderson said he was surprised by in their first meeting in April.

During his media day interview, Anderson said Nemkov was strong defensively when he shot for his first takedown, but when he got to his second and third attempts, the defense and power were almost gone.

“That’s not a factor now,” Nemkov said about being exhausted. “I had the right camp, the right time to prepare, it’s happening on a date I was training for. So, I think you will see a different performance from me.”

Nemkov became the Bellator light heavyweight champion by knocking out Ryan Bader at Bellator 244 in August 2020. He has since defeated Phil Davis by unanimous decision and Julius Anglickas by submission before the no contest result against Anderson.

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Bellator 288 fight card announced: 13 bouts official for Chicago

Thirteen bouts including two title fights are set for Bellator’s return to Chicago.

Bellator’s long-awaited return to Chicago this fall now has 13 official fights on the docket.

Bellator 288 is set for Nov. 18 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago with the main card airing on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. The card is headlined by two title fights including the light heavyweight grand prix final rematch between champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) and challenger [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA).

Their first meeting at Bellator 277 in April ended in a “no contest” after an unintentional clash of heads on the ground caused a fight-ending laceration on Nemkov’s face.

In the co-main event, lightweight champion [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) will attempt to defend the title for the first time against undefeated challenger [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA).

Rounding out the main card is [autotag]Akhmed Magomedov[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Daniel Weichel[/autotag] (42-13 MMA, 11-5 BMMA) at featherweight, [autotag]Tyrell Fortune[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 12-2 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Daniel James[/autotag] (13-6-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at heavyweight and [autotag]Levan Chokheli[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Roman Faraldo[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA).

With the addition, the Bellator 288 lineup includes:

  • Champion Vadnim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson – grand prix final for light heavyweight title
  • Champion Patricky Freire vs. Usman Nurmagomedov – for lightweight title
  • Akhmed Magomedov vs. Daniel Weichel
  • Tyrell Fortune vs. Daniel James
  • Levan Chokheli vs. Roman Faraldo
  • Khasan Askhabov vs. Otto Rodrigues
  • Lucas Brennan vs. Nick Talavera
  • Imamshafi Aliev vs. Sean Fallon
  • Archie Colgan vs. Jesse Hannam
  • Jaylon Bates vs. Jornel Lugo
  • Jordan Newman vs. Jayden Taulker
  • Isaiah Hokit vs. Matias Nader
  • Vlad Gouvea vs. Kory Moegenburg

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Bellator 288 to host two title fights: Nemkov vs. Anderson, ‘Pitbull’ vs. Nurmagomedov

Bellator is brining two big-time title fights to the “Windy City” this fall.

The “Windy City” has two big-time championship fights coming its way this fall.

On Monday, it was revealed Bellator 288 will be headlined by [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] defending his light heavyweight title against [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] and co-headlined by [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] putting his lightweight title on the line against [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag]. Bellator officials announced the bouts Monday following an initial report from “The MMA Hour.”

Bellator 288 takes place Nov. 18 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims streamed on MMA Junkie.

Nemkov (15-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) and Anderson (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) faced each other in the light heavyweight grand prix final this past April at Bellator 277. The result of the bout was a no contest after an accidental clash of heads caused a cut to Nemkov, which prompted a stop to the fight. Now, the pair are set to run it back once again for the title with the $1 million grand prize and tournament title at stake.

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Nemkov, 30, entered the Bellator 277 bout against Anderson on a nine-fight win streak that stretches back to 2016.

After defeating Ryan Bader to claim the light heavyweight title at Bellator 244, Nemkov defeated Phil Davis and Julius Anglickas, retaining his title while reaching the finals of the grand prix.

Anderson, 32, reached the finals on the heels of a three-fight win streak. He racked up two TKO finishes over Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov and Ryan Bader, leading to his showdown against Nemkov that resulted in a no contest.

Freire, 36, will have to deal with undefeated Nurmagomedov for his first title defense. Freire (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) won the vacant lightweight title last November when he knocked out Peter Queally in the second right at Bellator 270.

Nurmagomedov, 24, is the younger cousin and pupil to UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. Usman is 15-0 as a professional fighter, including 4-0 in Bellator with a decision win over Mike Hamel and finishes against Manny Muro, Patrik Pietila, and most recently Chris Gonzalez this past July.

The current Bellator 288 lineup includes:

  • Champ Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson – for light heavyweight title; grand prix final
  • Champ Patricky Freire vs. Usman Nurmagomedov – for lightweight title
  • Khasan Askhabov vs. Otto Rodrigues

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Scott Coker reacts to Nemkov-Anderson headbutt in Bellator grand prix final, explains what’s next

The Bellator light heavyweight grand prix reached its conclusion, but it still lacks resolution.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Bellator light heavyweight grand prix reached its conclusion, but it still lacks resolution.

The tournament final between champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] and [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] ended in a no contest after an accidental headbutt from Anderson (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) to Nemkov (15-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) that caused huge cut on his eyebrow. The officials overseeing the fight Friday at SAP Center ruled it a no contest as since it hadn’t reached the three-round threshold to go to the judges’ scorecards.

It was a messy way to end the tournament, with Bellator president Scott Coker expressing that he wasn’t happy with how things unfolded and he expects to run back the fight later this year.

“It’s unfortunate the way that fight ended,” Coker told reporters at the Bellator 277 post-fight press conference. “I was surprised. I didn’t realize that his cut was so deep to the bone because I was asking (California State Athletic Commission executive) Andy Foster, ‘What happened? There’s only three or four seconds left. Why couldn’t they finish the fight?’ And he said, ‘No, the damage was too much, and we couldn’t safely move forward.’

“They have the rule here where it has to go three rounds to go to a decision, so there’s no tournament champion. So what we’re going to do is regroup and put that fight together in the next three or four months as soon as everyone is healthy and ready to go. We’re definitely going to re-run that fight. That’s probably in late summer maybe.”

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As far as the logistics on how the promotion proceeds with the no contest, Nemkov remains Bellator champion, but the grand prix title remains in neutral hands until Nemkov and Anderson can settle it in the cage. The promotion will also hold the $1 million prize until the final gets rebooked and there’s a winner.

“Basically you have to win the tournament to win the money because the tournament prize is on top of the regular purses they get paid,” Coker explained. “So both sides get paid their normal contract pay. And the million dollars is just a bonus check on top of their pay.

“So in order to win that money, you have to win the fight, be the champ. So there’s no champ here, so it will continue on, and we will give the million-dollar check once we continue the tournament in sometime, let’s say, August or September.”

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Bellator 277 results: Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson ends in shocking no contest after accidental clash of heads

There was no winner in the Bellator 277 co-main event between Vadim Nemkov and Corey Anderson due to an accidental foul.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Bellator light heavyweight grand prix final Friday was that in name only.

The Bellator 277 co-main event ended in controversy and confusion as a [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] cut caused by a [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] headbutt halted the bout at the advice of the cageside physician. The contest came to an end at 4:53 of Round 3.

The final sequence occurred on the ground, as Anderson ducked his head down and collided on the forehead of Nemkov as he was working in half guard. The slice was visibly deep and enough for the doctor to quickly wave off the fight.

Because the foul was declared accidental, referee Frank Trigg deemed the bout a “no contest.” Since three of the five rounds weren’t completed, the bout as ineligible to go to a technical decision. The grand prix will continue at a later date with Nemkov retaining his title for the time being.

Up until the foul, the fight was largely Anderson’s both on the feet and on the ground. In the opening round, both fighters gained the other’s respect early. First it was Nemkov that ate a good punch. He then returned the favor and clocked Anderson. There was brief wall-and-stalling from Nemkov, though it amounted to nothing. Anderson tried a takedown attempt of his own. No dice.

Bloodied at the beginning of Round 2, Nemkov was taken down by Anderson, who remained heavy on top in half guard. He landed ground-and-pound and remained in control for the remainder of the round.

Round 3 was more of Anderson early, with some heavy punches landed on Nemkov’s noggin. Nemkov had his moment later in the round when he threatened a choke briefly. Anderson escaped eventually and once again landed on top, much to the delight of the California crowd. He rode out the round in side control with some heavyweight shots before the round ended.

Nemkov was transported to the hospital after the contest due to the injury suffered from the accidental clash of heads.

The up-to-the-minute Bellator 277 results include:

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Bellator 277 live and official results (7 p.m. ET)

Bellator 277 takes place Friday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results.

Bellator 277 takes place Friday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results beginning at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT).

The event takes place at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

In the main event, featherweight champion [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 18-0 BMMA) meets former champ [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (32-5 MMA, 20-5 BMMA) in a rematch. In the co-feature, light heavyweight champ [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) for the title in the 205-pound grand prix final.

Official Bellator 277 results include:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ A.J. McKee vs. Patricio Freire – for featherweight title
  • Champ Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson – for light heavyweight title; light heavyweight tournament final
  • Adli Edwards vs. Aaron Pico – 150-pound contract weight
  • Tim Johnson vs. Linton Vassell

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Rakim Cleveland vs. Tyrell Fortune
  • Rafael Carvalho vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov
  • Gaston Bolanos vs. Daniel Carey
  • Kyle Crutchmer vs. Michael Lombardo
  • Calob Ramirez vs. Bobby Seronio III
  • Rhalan Gracie vs. Tyson Miller
  • Edwin De Los Santos vs. Alberto Mendez
  • Socrates Hernandez vs. Rogelio Luna
  • Laird Anderson vs. JT Donaldson
  • Alan Benson vs. Theo Haig

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Spinning Back Clique: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Colby Covington, UFC 273 title-fight fallout, more

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Matthew Wells, Mike Bohn and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss five topics with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

  • UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] is considering a return to the lightweight division if a bout with Max Holloway isn’t next or another contender doesn’t emerge following his UFC 273 title defense over Chan Sung Jung. How would he fare against the top names at 155 pounds?
  • [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] unified the UFC bantamweight title with a controversial split-decision win over [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] at UFC 273. Who was the rightful winner of the bout, and how should each man proceed with their careers from here?
  • [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] was tested against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273, but emerged with a unanimous decision win. UFC president Dana White wants a matchup with Colby Covington next, but did the performance show it would be better for “The Wolf” to get more experience before fighting another top-three opponent?
  • [autotag]Weili Zhang[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Joanna Jędrzejczyk[/autotag] 2 is booked for June 11 at UFC 275. Can we accurately frame this as a No. 1 contender fight? What are the stakes here?
  • Bellator 277 takes place Friday with title fights featuring [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] 2 and [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag]. Can the winner of those bouts claim top ranking at featherweight and light heavyweight, regardless of promotion?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Tuesday on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch the full episode in the video above.

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Bellator 277/279 faceoffs: McKee-‘Pitbull’ 2, Nemkov-Anderson, Cyborg-Blencowe 2, more

Four upcoming Bellator title fights had faceoffs at Monday’s press conference in Los Angeles.

April is a massive month for Bellator, with three events on the docket and five championship fights scheduled.

The festivities kick off Friday, with Bellator 277 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The event is headlined by a featherweight championship rematch between [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 18-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (32-5 MMA, 20-5 BMMA). The co-headliner for the Showtime-televised card will see the conclusion of the light heavyweight grand prix when [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (30-8-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) clashes with [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) to determine the divisional and tournament champion.

The organization will then head to Hawaii for back-to-back events on April 22 and April 23. The latter of those events, Bellator 279, also featured a championship doubleheader. [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) run it back for women’s featherweight gold in the main event, while [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (25-3 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) for the interim bantamweight title in the opening round of the 135-pound grand prix.

Those four matchups in particular were part of Monday’s Bellator press conference in Los Angeles, and after taking questions from the media, they participated in faceoffs.

Check out the staredowns below.

Video: Watch Bellator 277/279 pre-fight press conference live (2:45 p.m. ET)

Watch the Bellator 277/279 pre-fight press conference with AJ McKee, Patricio ‘Pitbull’, Vadim Nemkov, and Corey Anderson.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – You can watch today’s press conference from SAP Center in advance of Bellator 277 here on MMA Junkie starting at 2:45 p.m. ET.

Bellator president [autotag]Scott Coker[/autotag] hosts the event, which features the four competitors in the main and the co-main event of Friday’s card. Bellator featherweight champion [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 18-0 BMMA) and former champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (32-5 MMA, 20-5 BMMA) will take part in the press conference ahead of their main event championship rematch. The light heavyweight grand prix championship competitors will also be present, champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) and challenger [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA).

Bellator 277 takes place on Friday at SAP Center. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

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