| Vadim Nemkov Вадим Александрович Немков | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | Vadim Nemkov (1992-06-20)June 20, 1992 (age 33) Belgorod, Russia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Native name | Вадим Немков | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 239 lb (108 kg; 17.1 st) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Division | Heavyweight (2015, 2016, 2024–present) Light Heavyweight (2013–2015, 2016–2023) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 76 in (193 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Style | Combat sambo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fighting out of | Stary Oskol, Russia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | FedorTeam Alexander Nevsky (Stary Oskol) American Top Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Trainer | Fedor Emelianenko | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | International Master of Sport inCombat Sambo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2013–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By submission | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No contests | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relatives | Viktor Nemkov (brother) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record fromSherdog | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Last updated on: 17 October 2021 (2021-10-17) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vadim Aleksandrovich Nemkov (Russian:Вадим Александрович Немков; born 20 June 1992) is a Russian professionalmixed martial artist and asambo competitor. He currently competes in theHeavyweight division of thePFL. He formerly competed in theLight Heavyweight division ofBellator MMA, where he was the longest-reigningLight Heavyweight World Champion.[1] Nemkov is the younger brother ofViktor Nemkov and a protégé of the heavyweight MMA and sambo masterFedor Emelianenko.
Vadim Aleksandrovich Nemkov was born inZhezqazghan,Kazakhstan on June 20, 1992. He grew up in the village ofTomarovka in Russia'sBelgorod Oblast. According to Nemkov, his father moved the family to Tomarovka after visiting the area and finding work near the city ofBelgorod.[2]
Nemkov began training in martial arts at a young age, often following his older brotherViktor, who was a mixed martial artist andjudoka. Upon entering the 9th grade, Nemkov began attending a camp inStary Oskol, where Russian MMA starFedor Emelianenko and his was team was training. Following graduation from high school, Nemkov served in the RussianSpetsnaz GRU before joiningFedor Team full time.[3]
As part of mixed martial arts, Nemkov made his debut on May 31, 2013. The technical knockout that knocked out Magomed Datsiev brought victory to Vadim. Less than a month later, on June 27, he also defeated Andrei Trufaikin by TKO. The next were the Pole Michal Gutovskiy (10-3 at the time of the fight) and the Romanian Isidor Bunea, who generally appeared in professional MMA for the first and last time - they lost in the first round. As a result, having gained a series of 4 early victories, already in 2015 Vadim was signed to Rizin.[4]
In November 2015, the Japanese fight promotion – and successor toPride Fighting Championships –Rizin Fighting Federation announced the brackets for a Heavyweight Grand Prix to be held on December 29 and 31.[5] It was announced Nemkov would make hisRizin debut against Goran Reljic. He won the bout by knockout in the first round, advancing to the semi-finals 2 days later.[6] In thesemi-finals on December 31, Nemkov facedJiří Procházka, losing via retirement due to being too exhausted at the end of the first (10 minute) round.[7]
Nemkov returned to faceKarl Albrektsson on April 16, 2016, atRizin 1.[8] He lost the fight via split decision.[9]
After a fight in Russia for Fight Nights Global, Nemkov again competed in Rizin against Alison Vicente on December 29, 2016, atRIZIN FF WGP 2nd round. He won the fight via TKO in the first round.[10]
On June 17, 2016, Nemkov fought Mikołaj Różanski on theFight Nights Global 50: Emelianenko vs Maldonado card inSt. Petersburg,Russia. He won the fight via TKO in the first round.[11]
On August 25, 2017, Nemkov made his Bellator debut against Philipe Lins atBellator 182.[12] He won the fight by knockout in the first round.[13]
In his second bout for the promotion, Nemkov faced former Bellator Light Heavyweight championLiam McGeary atBellator 194 on February 16, 2017.[14] He won the fight via TKO due to leg kicks in the third round.[15]
Nemkov faced another former Bellator Light Heavyweight champion inPhil Davis on November 15, 2018, atBellator 209.[16] He won the closely contested bout via split decision.[17]
In the beginning of 2019, Nemkov signed a new, multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA.[18] As the first fight of the contract, Nemkov faced former Bellator middleweight championRafael Carvalho atBellator 230 on October 12, 2019.[19] Nemkov won the bout via submission in the second round.[20]
After racking up four straight wins in Bellator, three of which against former Bellator titleholders, Nemkov was signed to challengeRyan Bader atBellator 242 on May 9, 2020, for theBellator Light Heavyweight World Championship.[21] However, it was later announced that Bellator 242 and Nemkov's bout against Bader was being postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[22] The bout with Bader was rescheduled and took place on August 21 atBellator 244. Nemkov won the bout via second-round technical knockout to capture the Bellator Light Heavyweight title.[23]
On February 9, 2021, it was announced that Nemkov would be defending the Bellator Light Heavyweight title in theBellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament. It was announced that Nemkov would make his first title defense againstPhil Davis, a rematch of their November 2018 bout, which saw Nemkov win via split decision. The bout took place atBellator 257 on April 16, 2021.[24] Nemkov won the bout via unanimous decision, with Nemkov controlling the first three rounds on the feet.[25]
In the semi-finals of the Grand Prix, Nemkov was scheduled to faceAnthony Johnson on October 16, 2021, atBellator 268.[26] On September 18, it was announced that Johnson was pulled from the Grand Prix due to an undisclosed illness and he was replaced byJulius Anglickas.[27][28] Nemkov dominated the fight with wrestling and ground and pound, eventually winning via submission in round four.[29]
In the finals of theBellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament, Nemkov took onCorey Anderson for the 205-pound title as well as the $1 million prize on April 15, 2022, atBellator 277.[30] The fight ended in a no contest after an accidental clash of heads resulted in a cut on Nemkov's left brow that rendered him unable to continue.[31]
The rematch of the finals took place on November 18, 2022, atBellator 288.[32] Nemkov was able to stop all the takedowns of Anderson, going 16 for 16, and picked Anderson apart from distance on the way to defending his belt and winning the $1 million prize for winning the Grand Prix via unanimous decision.[33]
Nemkov was scheduled to defend his title againstYoel Romero on February 4, 2023, atBellator 290.[34] However, Nemkov was forced to withdraw due to undisclosed reason and the bout was scrapped.[35]
In January 2023, Bellator announced that it had signed a multi-year, multi-fight contract with Nemkov.[36]
The fight withYoel Romero was rebooked and eventually took place on June 16, 2023, atBellator 297.[37] Nemkov won the fight via unanimous decision.[38]
On January 17, 2024, Nemkov announced that he was vacating theBellator Light Heavyweight World Championship and moving up to Heavyweight.[39]
Nemkov faced 2021 PFL Heavyweight championBruno Cappelozza on February 24, 2024, atPFL vs. Bellator.[40] He won by arm-triangle submission in the second round.[41][42]
AfterAnte Delija withdrew for unknown reasons, Nemkov was scheduled to faceBellator Light Heavyweight World ChampionCorey Anderson in a heavyweight bout for their third meeting on January 25, 2025 atBellator Champions Series 6 (also marketed asPFL Road to Dubai: Champions Series).[43] However, on December 15, Anderson stated that the fight was off because he is "too tough of a fight" for Nemkov.,[44] and Nemkov instead facedTimothy Johnson.[45] He won the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the first round.[46]
Nemkov is scheduled to faceRenan Ferreira for the vacantPFL Heavyweight Championship on December 13, 2025, atPFL Europe 4.[47]
Nemkov served in the 16thSpetsnaz Brigade in 2010.[48]
Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship (One time)PFL vs. Bellator Champion of Champions Super Belt (One time)| 21 matches | 18 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 9 | 1 |
| By submission | 5 | 0 |
| By decision | 4 | 1 |
| No contests | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 18–2 (1) | Timothy Johnson | Submission (rear-naked choke) | PFL Champions Series 1 | January 25, 2025 | 1 | 3:08 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | |
| Win | 17–2 (1) | Bruno Cappelozza | Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) | PFL vs. Bellator | February 24, 2024 | 2 | 2:13 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Return to Heavyweight. |
| Win | 16–2 (1) | Yoel Romero | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 297 | June 16, 2023 | 5 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | Defended theBellator Light Heavyweight World Championship. Later vacated the title on Jan 17, 2024. |
| Win | 15–2 (1) | Corey Anderson | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 288 | November 18, 2022 | 5 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | Won theBellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix. Defended theBellator Light Heavyweight World Championship. |
| NC | 14–2 (1) | Corey Anderson | NC (accidental clash of heads) | Bellator 277 | April 15, 2022 | 3 | 4:55 | San Jose, California, United States | Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Final. Retained theBellator Light Heavyweight World Championship. Accidental clash of heads rendered Nemkov unable to continue. |
| Win | 14–2 | Julius Anglickas | Submission (kimura) | Bellator 268 | October 16, 2021 | 4 | 4:25 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinal. Defended theBellator Light Heavyweight World Championship. |
| Win | 13–2 | Phil Davis | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 257 | April 16, 2021 | 5 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal. Defended theBellator Light Heavyweight World Championship. |
| Win | 12–2 | Ryan Bader | TKO (head kick and punches) | Bellator 244 | August 21, 2020 | 2 | 3:02 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | Won theBellator Light Heavyweight World Championship. |
| Win | 11–2 | Rafael Carvalho | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Bellator 230 | October 12, 2019 | 2 | 3:56 | Milan, Italy | |
| Win | 10–2 | Phil Davis | Decision (split) | Bellator 209 | November 15, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Tel Aviv, Israel | |
| Win | 9–2 | Liam McGeary | TKO (leg kicks) | Bellator 194 | February 16, 2018 | 3 | 4:02 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
| Win | 8–2 | Philipe Lins | KO (punches) | Bellator 182 | August 25, 2017 | 1 | 3:03 | Verona, New York, United States | |
| Win | 7–2 | Alison Vicente | KO (punches) | Rizin World Grand Prix 2016: 2nd Round | December 29, 2016 | 1 | 0:55 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 6–2 | Mikołaj Różanski | TKO (punches) | Fight Nights Global 50 | June 17, 2016 | 1 | 3:39 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | |
| Loss | 5–2 | Karl Albrektsson | Decision (split) | Rizin 1 | April 17, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Nagoya, Japan | Return to Light Heavyweight. |
| Loss | 5–1 | Jiří Procházka | TKO (retirement) | Rizin World Grand Prix 2015: Part 2 - Iza | December 31, 2015 | 1 | 10:00 | Saitama, Japan | 2015 Rizin Heavyweight Grand Prix Semifinal. |
| Win | 5–0 | Goran Reljić | KO (punches) | Rizin World Grand Prix 2015: Part 1 - Saraba | December 29, 2015 | 1 | 2:58 | Saitama, Japan | Heavyweight debut.2015 Rizin Heavyweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal. |
| Win | 4–0 | Joaquim Ferreira | KO (punch) | League S-70: Plotforma Cup 2015 | August 29, 2015 | 1 | 0:22 | Sochi, Russia | |
| Win | 3–0 | Isidor Bunea | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Stary Oskol MMA Federation: Steel Battle 2 | April 24, 2015 | 1 | 1:00 | Stary Oskol, Russia | |
| Win | 2–0 | Michał Gutowski | TKO (punches) | Youth Sports Foundation KHARS: Liberation 2013 | August 5, 2013 | 1 | 4:32 | Belgorod, Russia | |
| Win | 1–0 | Andrei Trufaikin | TKO (punches) | Radmer Cup 4: 2 Round | June 27, 2013 | 1 | 2:29 | Sterlitamak, Russia | Light Heavyweight debut. |
