Corey Anderson claims his trilogy fight against Vadim Nemkov is no longer happening.
Photo by Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images
Damon Martin is a veteran journalist and insider covering combat sports since 2003.
Just days after the PFL announced a third fight between Anderson and Nemkov headed to the upcoming event in Dubai on Jan. 25, the reigning Bellator light heavyweight champion now says the matchup has been scrapped. In a lengthy social media post addressing the situation, Anderson claims Nemkov accepted and then backed out of the proposed fight.
“Breaking announcement folks, the trilogy will not be happening,” Anderson said on an Instagram post. “Woke up to a text this morning from PFL and Bellator saying ‘Vadim refuses to fight you.’ Verbatim their words is ‘you’re too tough of a fight for him. That’s what he says but he wants to stay on the card and fight a lesser opponent. Can’t make this stuff up.
“You call yourself the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the organization but you’re scared to fight somebody that you’ve already fought twice on seven weeks’ notice.”
PFL and Bellator officials have not commented on the fight being cancelled.
Anderson got the fight after Nemkov’s original opponent Ante Delija fell off the card for undisclosed reasons. The heavyweight matchup was supposed to serve as a third meeting between the Bellator veterans after the first matchup ended in a no-contest due to an accidental clash of heads in a fight that Anderson was largely dominating.
In the rematch, Nemkov turned the tables with a lopsided unanimous decision victory to cap off the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix. He then successful defended his belt against Yoel Romero before vacating the title to move up to heavyweight where he defeated Bruno Cappelozza with a second-round submission back in February.
As for Anderson, he’s back playing the waiting game after just recently complaining about his lack of activity following a win to claim the vacant light heavyweight title in March but then sitting out the rest of 2024. Unless something changes, Anderson won’t get the chance to return in January and he’ll have to continue to wait PFL to rebook him for a new fight.
