Additional motivation

For Vadim Nemkov, the duel with Corey Anderson will be special.

After all, not only the Bellator light heavyweight title, but also $1 million in prize money will be at stake.

Since then, five more battles have passed, as a result of which the current belt holder and star rookie from the UFC, who has revealed himself in a new way in the second largest MMA promotion, reached the finals.

For Nemkov, this is far from the first experience of participating in such tournaments.

He had previously tried his hand at the Rizin FF Grand Prix twice but failed both times.

In 2015, he reached the semi-finals, but did not calculate his strength and refused to continue the fight with Jiri Prochazka at the end of the first round.

According to the rules of the Japanese organization, it lasts not the standard five, but ten minutes - as it was in PRIDE.

A year later, he also entered the competition, but acted as a substitute.

As part of the show held at the legendary Saitama Super Arena, he knocked out Alison Vicente in just 54 seconds, but did not make it into the main draw.

This time for Vadim, everything turned out much more successfully, although it was not without luck.

If in the quarterfinals he came across a top rival - the former Bellator champion Phil Davis, then in the semifinals he was waiting for not the most skillful middle peasant Julius Anglickas, who in an unthinkable way ended up on the fifth line of the rating.

Initially, another UFC veteran, the legendary puncher Anthony Johnson, was supposed to fight, but he fell ill, and a Lithuanian replaced him.

With him, the Russian, albeit not without difficulty, but coped.

Cancellation Threat

However, Johnson was not the only mixed martial artist to compete in the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix.

Yoel Romero was also announced as a participant, and the purpose of the event was both to draw attention to the promotion and to demonstrate that Scott Cocker's organization gathered the strongest athletes in the category up to 93 kg.

It is all the more surprising that the management was ready to curtail this project right before the final and leave it unfinished.

“My fight was in question.

Not even in question, there were some pitfalls.

But in the end, he added it, they decided to leave it.

After all, we don’t just have a fight, we have a Grand Prix final, and this Grand Prix needs to end ... And so, if the fight was just a title fight, it might not have happened, ”TASS quotes Nemkov.

Although the Russian did not name the reason for the occurrence of "pitfalls", the point is probably in the tense political situation in the world.

She already cost Fedor Emelianenko a duel on Red Square, could have an impact on his pupil, but everything was resolved successfully.

Nemkov will not only fight with Anderson, but will also be able to count on the help of the Last Emperor during the fight.

“Fedor will arrive on April 13 for my fight and will be my second.

As far as I know, he wants to meet with Cocker and discuss plans ... He can fight in America, ”Nemkov told Match TV.

Underestimated Rival

As for Vadim himself, he can expect one of the most difficult fights in his career.

Yes, unlike Davis and Johnson, his future opponent does not have such a big name.

Anderson was underestimated throughout his career in the UFC - even when he was on a four-fight streak and ranked fifth in the rankings.

It's all about his not the most striking style, which puts the final result at the forefront, and not the way to achieve it.

In the Absolute Fighting Championship, the American won ten victories, while only three of them were ahead of schedule.

Journeymen Matt van Buuren and Sean O'Connell were the only unlucky ones, as was the unstable Johnny Walker, while battles with Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira lasted all the scheduled rounds.

Therefore, Dana White and the company did not regret much when he demanded a termination of the contract.

But in Bellator, a slightly different Anderson appeared before the fans.

Yes, it is necessary to take into account the lower level of rivals, but in general, progress is evident.

He won all three fights by knockout, and in the last of them he dealt with ex-champion Bader in less than a minute.

And now Corey, who has gained form and self-confidence, is following Vadim.

The risk of repeating Jan's mistake

In recent battles, Anderson has shown that he is not the one-dimensional and boring fighter that many thought he was.

This made him more unpredictable and dangerous, forcing opponents to fear not only passes to the legs and a clinch near the net, but also a smashing right hand.

But it should not be ruled out that at the decisive moment, Corey will decide to return to his corporate identity and fight the battle as pragmatically as possible.

Until now, Anderson has been ranked in the top UFC light heavyweight division in a number of ways.

He holds the record for the most takedowns (53), ranks fourth in the percentage of being in position from below (0.38%) and eighth - from above (41.2%).

And this suggests that Corey not only perfectly knows how to transfer opponents to the floor and keep them there, but also practically does not allow him to do this with himself.

And wrestling is one of the key elements in Nemkov's game.

It was she who helped him cool the ardor of Anglickas and defend the belt for the second time.

In addition, Anderson is in the top ten in terms of difference between shots and missed shots (2.21, fourth line) and the number of significant hits (721, eighth).

Consequently, Nemkov may not have a clear advantage not only in the stalls, but also in the standing position.

And if the battle turns out to be extremely equal, and the determination of the winner is at the mercy of the judges, a repetition of the situation in the battle between Petr Yan and Algemain Sterling is not ruled out.

In a close fight, the jury can take the side of a more attractive fighter, as a result of which Vadim will be left with nothing.

Great prospects

But if Nemkov still manages to win an eighth win in a row in Bellator, then not only will he greatly improve his financial situation, but he will also take a big step in his career.

According to him, he has one or two fights left under his current contract with Bellator, therefore, he will be able to count either on a cash match in this organization, or on signing a contract with the UFC.

His possible transition to the biggest promotion has been talked about for quite some time - and when to make it, if not after the loudest success in his career?

If Nemkov decides to stay with Cocker, he may well demand a unification fight with Bader from him.

Earlier, the Russian admitted that it was getting harder and harder for him to drive weight, as a result of which he was considering the possibility of competing in the heavyweight division.

And then the paths will lead him to a former opponent, whom he already knocked out in 2020.

Then the American lasted a little more than one and a half rounds before being under a hail of blows.

The battle with Gegard Mousasi is not excluded.

And although in this case Nemkov will not get the opportunity to become the fourth champion in two divisions in the history of Bellator, but at least he will earn.

The fee for the battle with the star Dutchman will certainly be appropriate, and the fight itself will attract huge attention from the audience.