MMA
Ryan Bader to defend light heavyweight title against Vadim Nemkov at Bellator 244 on Aug. 21
It was originally slated for May, but the coronavirus pandemic dashed those plans.
Now, Ryan Bader will see how tough of a challenge Vadim Nemkov presents, when the double champion defends his light heavyweight title against the game Russian at Bellator 244 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. on Aug. 21, live on DAZN.
The 37-year-old Bader (27-5, 1 No contest) has been tearing through his opponents, touting a perfect 5-0 record since joining Bellator in 2017. He grabbed the heavyweight title to become double champion last January when he starched Fedor Emelianenko with a first-round KO (punches) that took just 35 seconds. From there, he had a rather bizarre ending to his clash with Cheick Kongo in September — a bout that ended in a no-contest following an accidental, controversial eye poke.
Nemkov (12-2) has won four straight fights, including a second-round submission (rear-naked choke) of Rafael Carvalho in October. The fact that the 28-year-old trains with Emelianenko, and Bader defeated the Russian MMA legend adds all the more intrigue to this title bout.
"When I hit him, I'm going to hit him for me and for Fedor," Nemkov promised during a Bellator press conference back in March.
To that, Bader responded at the time: "I know I have my hands full with him. He's a totally different fighter, young fighter coming up and I'm looking forward to that test coming down to 205 (pounds). Get those young, fast guys again, so I'm pumped for it."
The Bellator 244 co-main event will pit former women's champion Julia Budd (13-3) against Jessy Miele (9-3) in a featherweight tilt.
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