Bellator 288: Wintrust Arena; Chiago, Illinois
It’s safe to say that this will not be the last time that Corey Anderson and Vadim Nemkov face one another. But after the rematch due to the accidental head clash, Vadim Nemkov looks complete as light heavyweight champion. And he’s a million dollars richer too boot winning the 205 Grand Prix Tournament.
The pretty high-paced action fight thanks to both fighters solid gas tanks showed off the skills the 30-year old Russian improved on. Thanks to what he learned stateside in Coconut Creek and the fighters and brain trust at ATT.
Both fighters had no problem letting their hands go. However; Nemkov out-struck “Overtime” almost 2 1/2-to-one. And the fact that Nemkov was so successful chopping away at Anderson’s lead lower leg it had an effect on the Jersey native’s ground-game. And he also through in an array of other kicks as well. Anderson finished zero-for-15 in takedowns; which is a monstrous part of his game. Although for one billionth of a second in the opening round he pulled him down to the canvas before Nemkov jumped back up.
And the final piece to the puzzle for the Russian was his laser-fast pinpoint striking. All those helped him land an easy unanimous decision 48-47, 49-46 2x. Even though both fighters pushed the pace till the final horn.
Vadim Nemkov Looks Complete, And Now There’s No Rest For The Weary
Earlier in the day it was announced that whoever won the Grand Prix already had their next opponent locked in. And this next fight will be an interesting one. Because there is no middle ground with him. It will either be an exciting struggle, or a snoozefest.
Yoel Romero has the dynamite in his hands to put anyone to sleep. He also has the wrestling ability that few have. He is on a two-fight winning streak, but what he lacks at times is a killer instinct. And it will be interesting to see if Nemkov continues to work out of ATT, or possibly move on to another spot.
Say maybe AKA and work with all the Dagestani wrestlers there. When it comes to ground games it’s a hard task to find two better locations to work on it. Although Romero is 45, he still has some explosiveness in him. And Nemkov does continue to be clipped.
Not that Nemkov will completely move on from Team Fedor, it’s just key to get new eyes on you. There can be a very good argument that Bellator now has the best overall light heavyweight fighter in MMA. Does he still have things that can be worked on? Absolutely. But as someone who picks things up easily, and proof that others can help; there’s no doubt any other small holes can be closed.
A Fast Peak At Romero – Nemkov
There’s no doubt that before he hangs up the gloves for good, the Cuban wants another major strap. If he stays patient an opening may arise to do some damage. Nemkov will be punching down hill, and for the most part kicking above Romero. So Romero who does lean heavy on his lead leg; has to get inside to make things messy from the clinch to rip the belt away.
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