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UNCASVILLE, Connecticut – At Bellator 244, Vadim Nemkov became the first Russian fighter to win the major promotion light heavyweight title by defeating Ryan Bader by TKO in the second round.
Minutes after coming out of the cage on Friday, Nemkov (13-2 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) spoke to reporters huddled backstage at Mohegan Sun Arena. Protected by Fedor Emelianenko, Nemkov spoke about the importance of becoming the first person to achieve the feat for his homeland.
“When I was training for this fight, I mentally prepared myself for the historic value of the fight being the first Russian not only to win, but to fight for a major 205-pound title,” Nemkov told MMA Junkie via an interpreter. during the post-event press conference. “I feel like I made history – a small part of history.”
The victory solidified Nemkov’s place, but the Russian champion also believes he secured his place not only as the best 205-pound fighter in the Bellator – but in the world.
“I feel like with all the changes going on in the 205-pound division and the caliber of the opponent I just beat (the guy is a two-time champion in two different weight classes), I feel that I’m No. 1 right now, ”Nemkov said. “To confirm why I’m saying this, I haven’t just been through five rounds of fighting. I finished decisively among the top contenders in two rounds. I feel like I’m n ° 1. “
After the fight, longtime UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who quit his title earlier this week, taken to twitter to congratulate Nemkov on his victory. Hearing Jones’ compliment, Nemkov graciously accepted the sentiment.
“I just want to thank him,” Nemkov said. “It means a lot to hear, especially from a legend like Jon Jones.”
Looks like Russia has a light heavyweight champion, congratulations
As for what happens next, Nemkov has his eyes on one fight in particular. Although Bellator has just signed former UFC competitor Corey Anderson, Nemkov said he believes the winner of the 9/11 fight between Lyoto Machida and Phil Davis made more sense.
“The situation is a bit hazy at the moment,” Nemkov said. “Machida is fighting Phil Davis so I would say the winner of this fight will probably be my first title defense. I know Corey Anderson just signed, but I think it would be a mistake for him to get a UFC title shot. I feel like he should probably fight before that. At the end of the day, I will fight anyone they lead ahead of me.
Check out the full post-fight press conference for Nemkov’s Bellator 244 in the video above.
The Bellator 244 took place at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday. The main card aired simultaneously on Paramount Network and DAZN after preliminaries on MMA Junkie.
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