Fans were outraged when Vadim Nemkov and Corey Anderson declared a no-contest in the Grand Prix final
Vadim Nemkov keeps his championship after an unintentional head clash with Corey Anderson at Bellator 277.
He kept his Bellator light heavyweight title against Corey Anderson at Bellator 277, but he had more questions than answers when he left the ring, so he kept it.
In the first round of the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Finals, Nemkov and Anderson fought toe-to-toe. Nemkov got the fight started by stifling Anderson’s takedown attempt and hitting his signature kicks to the body and head.
On the other hand, Anderson used his wrestling to come back in Rounds 2 and 3. He won the grappling matches and was able to score some strong ground-and-pound strikes to keep Nemkov on the ground.
Midway through Round 3, the action would come to a halt due to an unintentional head clash. After checking a terrible gash above Nemkov’s brow, the doctor called a halt to the combat.
A technical decision was not made due to the fight not being in the fourth round or later. As a result, the fight was called a no-contest, and Nemkov kept his title in one of the weirdest endings in recent memory, so he won.
Here’s how MMA Twitter responded to the disputed Nemkov vs. Anderson finish.
MMA: The finale of Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson sparked a lot of discussion on Twitter
With recent overwhelming wins over Phil Davis and Julius Anglickas, Nemkov entered the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Finals undefeated in his Bellator career.
Following six straight victories, he won the 205-pound belt over Ryan Bader at Bellator 244.
Following his victory over Alison Vicente in the RIZIN Fighting World Grand Prix in 2016, Nemkov moved to Bellator. He would go on to defeat Philipe Lins in his Bellator debut at Bellator 182.
Anderson has been on a tear since joining Bellator after a long run with the UFC. Despite failing to win the UFC light heavyweight title, he knocked out the likes of Johnny Walker and Sean O’Connell.
Anderson wins the Grand Prix with his victory over Nemkov, and he may return to the Bellator cage later this year for his first championship defense.