The wheels are officially in motion for Vadim
Nemkov to transition to the heavyweight division.
Nemkov has vacated his Bellator
MMA light heavyweight crown, Sherdog.com confirmed with a
promotion official on Wednesday following an initial report from
MMAjunkie.com. The 31-year-old will make his
his first heavyweight appearance on the
Professional Fighters League vs. Bellator main card against
former
PFL heavyweight winner Bruno
Cappelozza on Feb. 24.
Currently No. 1 in Sherdog’s 205-pound
rankings, Nemkov has widely been regarded as one of the world’s
best light heavyweights regardless of promotion. The Fedorteam
representative went unbeaten in 10 Bellator appearances, claiming
the belt with a second-round stoppage of Ryan Bader in
August 2020. His championship reign spanned five successful
defenses, including a run through the organization’s 205-pound
grand prix that culminated in a five-round verdict over Corey
Anderson at Bellator 288. He owns a 16-2-1 career mark that
includes notable wins over the likes of Yoel Romero,
Phil
Davis (twice), Anderson, Bader, Rafael
Carvalho, Liam
McGeary and Philipe
Lins.
It is unclear what Bellator’s plans are for its light heavyweight
division going forward. The PFL vs. Bellator pay-per-view will mark
the first event involving the California-based promotion since PFL
purchased it last year.