Vadim Nemkov is set for Dubai after all.
Vadim Nemkov vs. Tim Johnson added to Bellator Dubai
Alexander K. Lee is an editor for MMA Fighting who has been covering combat sports since 2014.
Bellator announced Monday that Nemkov (18-2, 1 NC) is set to fight veteran heavyweight Tim Johnson (18-10) at the promotion’s Jan. 25 event at Coca-Cola Arena. This is the third prospective opponent Nemkov has had for the card.
Nemkov was originally scheduled to fight Ante Delija at Bellator Dubai, but Delija withdrew for undisclosed reasons. Delija was then replaced by Nemkov’s rival Corey Anderson, who was moving up to heavyweight for the fight. However, that bout fell through, with Anderson later accusing Nemkov of being “scared” to fight him.
The feud between Nemkov and Anderson dates back to April 2022, when Anderson met Nemkov in the finals of a light heavyweight tournament with Nemkov’s title on the line. Unfortunately, the bout ended in a no-contest due to an accidental clash of heads in the third round. The two met in a rematch the following April, with Nemkov defeating Anderson via unanimous decision.
Regardless, Nemkov now moves on to a fresh matchup. Nemkov made a successful heavyweight debut this past February at the PFL vs. Bellator event where he submitted Bruno Cappelozza in the second round. Nemkov has not lost a fight since April 2016.
Johnson recently saw a three-fight win streak snapped this past August when he lost via first-round TKO to eventual 2024 PFL heavyweight champion Denis Goltsov.
