Several weeks after locking down the services of top Lightweight contender, A.J. McKee, Bellator MMA has ensured that one of its champions will be staying put for the foreseeable future, too.
Per a press release, the promotion announced that it has inked current Light Heavyweight champion, Vadim Nemkov, to a contract extension two months removed from his win over Corey Anderson, which not only allowed him to keep his title, but won him a cool $1 million as the Grand Prix winner.
“Vadim Nemkov was another athlete that we wanted to make sure we had on the Bellator roster for the foreseeable future,” Bellator President, Scott Coker, said. “He’s a huge part of one of the divisions that we feel is the strongest in all of mixed martial arts.
“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,” he continued. “I am looking forward to seeing Vadim in exciting matchups in 2023 and beyond.”
Nemkov is undefeated (8-0-1) inside the Bellator cage, which includes three successful title defenses. A protege of Fedor Emelianenko, Nemkov has proven to be one of Bellator’s top stars and has collected huge wins over Ryan Bader and Phil Davis, among others.
Nemkov was set to defend his 205-pound strap against Yoel Romero at the upcoming Bellator 290 fight card on Feb. 4, 2023, but was forced to withdraw for undisclosed reasons. It is highly expected that the match up will be re-booked later this year.
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