Surging Bellator light heavyweight contender Vadim Nemkov stands one win away from capturing the promotion’s 205-pound title as he prepares to take on two-division champion Ryan Bader at Bellator 242 in San Jose on May 9 (pending the resumption of normal activities in the state of California due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Nemkov’s rise through the Bellator light heavyweight ranks has been as impressive as any contender in any division. After his debut win over Brazilian Philipe Lins, Nemkov was thrown in with a succession of world champion opponents, and the Stary Oksol, Russia native has beaten them all to earn his shot at Bader’s 205-pound strap.
The fight that started his run came at Bellator 194 against Liam McGeary as he produced a cerebral display to clinically dismantle the former light heavyweight champion in Uncasville, Conn.
Nemkov came out confidently against the British grappler as he established his stand-up with some solid kickboxing as he worked his way inside McGeary’s long reach to land his strikes.
With McGeary starting to make life trickier for Nemkov to land with his hands, the Russian turned to his leg kicks and found his route to victory. Nemkov added powerful right kicks to the outside of McGeary’s lead leg to almost every striking combination from the mid-point of Round 1 onwards, and it paid off in the following frame.
Nemkov had identified an effective technique, and also the fact that McGeary wasn’t checking it, and that knowledge paid off. In Round 2, Nemkov smartly avoided McGeary’s submission attack when the pair went to the mat early, but soon got back to work on the feet as he established that leg kick once again. By the end of the round, McGeary was clearly compromised and he limped back to the corner in obvious pain.
With the bout firmly in his comfort zone, the Russian loaded up even more on his leg kicks Round 3 as he pounded the former champion’s lead leg, with the crowd at the Mohegan Sun Arena gasping with every kick that landed.
With McGeary chopped to the ground, referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in and waved off the fight with 58 seconds left. Nemkov proved for the first time in the Bellator cage that he had both the fight I.Q. and the technique to dismantle championship-caliber opposition.
Relive the fight in full via the video above.
