Vadim Nemkov retained his light heavyweight title after defeating Yoel Romero via unanimous decision at Bellator 297.
Vadim Nemkov was determined to achieve a finish against opponent Yoel Romero, but Romero simply would not go down without a fight. Despite this, Nemkov maintained a masterful performance throughout their meeting and went on to dominate Romero for nearly 25 minutes during the main event of Bellator 297. Although Romero demonstrated impressive durability, his offense was largely lacking, which allowed Nemkov to take control of the majority of their exchanges.
When the fight concluded, all three judges scored it 49-46 in favour of Nemkov, leading to him retaining his light heavyweight title. Following his victory, Nemkov expressed his pride in sharing the octagon with a legend like Romero, calling it a “tough fight” and noting that his opponent was “very tough to knock out.” He added that he had been trying to land punches from a distance, but Romero’s stubborn persistence made it difficult to do so.
Throughout the match, Nemkov displayed unbridled aggression towards his rival, utilizing a strong lead jab and consistently aiming for a head kick. This strategy showcased Nemkov’s speed and output, which resulted in major headaches for Romero, an Olympic silver medal-winning wrestler, who struggled to keep up with his opponent. As the fight progressed, Nemkov continued to perform at a higher level than Romero, landing several stiff shots that backed him up against the cage while Romero tried to fend off the strikes. In the end, Nemkov earned a well-deserved victory after five grueling rounds, marking his fourth successful defense of the Bellator light heavyweight title.