Bellator Re-Signs Light Heavyweight Champ Vadim Nemkov to Multi-Year Contract

Bellator MMA continues to lock up its top talents.

After recently re-signing former featherweight king A.J. McKee to a multi-year deal, the California-based promotion did the same for Vadim Nemkov this week. Bellator announced the news on Monday through ESPN, but terms of the contract were not disclosed.

"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 a division 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. I am looking forward to seeing Vadim in exciting matchups in 2023 and beyond.”

Nemkov is unbeaten in his last 11 professional appearances, a streak that dates back to 2016 and is only marred by a no contest against Corey Anderson at Bellator 277. Nemkov began his championship reign with a second-round TKO of Ryan Bader at Bellator 244 and has defended the crown in wins over Phil Davis, Julius Anglickas and Anderson. The 30-year-old Fedorteam member owns a 15-2 career mark.

The date of Nemkov’s next title defense is currently unknown. He was briefly slated to face Yoel Romero at Bellator 290 on Feb. 4 before withdrawing from the event for undisclosed reasons.