It wasn’t easy by any means, but Vadim Nemkov walked away from Bellator 268 with his light heavyweight title and a spot in the Grand Prix finale after a tough fight against late tournament replacement, Julius Anglickas.
Early in the fight, Anglickas managed to drop the champion with a solid shot. Showing his toughness and heart, Nemkov bounced back up quickly and shook off the cobwebs. From there, it didn’t take long for Nemkov to go to his wrestling, taking down Anglickas numerous times in the second and third rounds.
@VadimNemkov coming through with the takedown!#Bellator268 is LIVE NOW on @SHOSports.
https://t.co/RNtauZGbbQ#Bellator268 pic.twitter.com/98bzO3YMsy
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) October 17, 2021
@VadimNemkov is feeling strong in round 2??.
Don’t miss the #Bellator268 main event LIVE on @SHOSports.
https://t.co/RNtauZGbbQ#BellatorLHWGP pic.twitter.com/knQ6O9tH5o— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) October 17, 2021
A level change and a takedown for the LHW champ.@VadimNemkov vs. @JuliusAnglickas is LIVE NOW on @SHOSports!
https://t.co/RNtauZGbbQ#BellatorLHWGP #Bellator268 pic.twitter.com/C0nHeLknkN— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) October 17, 2021
In round number four, Nemkov once again used his wrestling to set up countless submission attempts that Anglickas defended very well. When he wasn’t trying to force Anglickas to tap, Nemkov was punishing him with brutal ground-and-pound. In the end, Nemkov managed to secure a fight-ending kimura midway through the fourth round.
Nemkov will now defend his title against Corey Anderson — who knocked out Ryan Bader in 51 seconds in the co-main event — in the Grand Prix finale for the chance to win the $1 million prize.
For complete Bellator 268 play-by-play updates and results click here.