Corey Anderson announced that his anticipated trilogy fight against Vadim Nemkov has been canceled after Nemkov reportedly backed out, leaving Anderson without a scheduled opponent for the upcoming event in Dubai.
Corey Anderson’s trilogy fight with Vadim Nemkov? It’s off. Yep, you heard it right. Just when fans were gearing up for a showdown in Dubai on Jan. 25, the reigning Bellator light heavyweight champ, Nemkov, pulled out. Why? Well, Anderson spilled the beans on social media, claiming Nemkov backed out after initially agreeing.
“Breaking announcement folks,” Anderson wrote on Instagram. “The trilogy will not be happening.” He woke up to some unexpected news from PFL and Bellator. Apparently, Nemkov thinks Anderson’s too tough. Said he wanted a less challenging opponent instead—can’t make this stuff up!
Anderson didn’t hold back: “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.”
Official word from PFL and Bellator? Crickets. Nada. Zilch.
Originally, Anderson stepped in when Nemkov’s initial opponent, Ante Delija, dropped out for reasons unknown. This bout was supposed to be their third meeting after an accidental clash of heads in their first fight led to a no-contest—a match Anderson was dominating.
In their rematch, Nemkov flipped the script with a decisive unanimous decision win, clinching the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix. Then he defended his title against Yoel Romero before moving up to heavyweight and taking down Bruno Cappelozza with a second-round submission in February.
As for Anderson? He’s stuck waiting again. After winning the vacant light heavyweight title in March, he’s been sidelined for the rest of 2024. Looks like January won’t see him return unless PFL finds him another matchup soon.