Professional Fighters League (PFL) had recently announced a Heavyweight fight between former Bellator Light Heavyweight champion, Vadim Nemkov, and Ante Delija to co-headline the “Road to Dubai” Champions Series event on Jan. 25, 2025, but that fight is no longer happening.
According to the promotion, Nemkov will now face current Bellator 205-pound title holder, Corey Anderson, in a title fight after Delija had to bow out of the event.
Interestingly enough, Nemkov vacated the 205-pound strap earlier this year, and returned to Heavyweight to defeat Bruno Cappelozza in February. Now, Nemkov will have to start cutting weight in order hit the 205-pound limit in a month. As for Anderson — who has been unhappy as of late with the inactivity — he went on to win the vacant strap left behind by the bruising Russian slugger by defeating Karl Moore at Bellator Ireland in March of this year.
Nemkov and Anderson have already faced off two times before, with their first fight at Bellator 277 being ruled a no contest (NC) after an inadvertent clash of heads lead to the stoppage of the fight in round three. In the rematch seven months later, Nemkov went on to defeat Anderson via unanimous decision in what was was the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix finale.
“Road to Dubai” — which is set to kick off inside Coca-Cola Arena Dubai — will be headlined by a Lightweight title fight as division king, Usman Nurmagomedov, will defend against rising sensation, Paul Hughes.
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