Bellator MMA
Bellator 244: “Bader vs. Nemkov” is set to air tonight (Fri., Aug. 21, 2020) from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. “Champ-champ” Ryan Bader (27-5, 1 NC) puts his Light Heavyweight title on the line against top ranked Russian contender Vadim Nemkov (11-2).
Bellator 244’s main card will start at 10 p.m. ET on Paramount and DAZN (watch it here) with “Prelims” undercard bouts via YouTube at 7:15 p.m. ET. MMAmania.com will deliver results for the full card and comprehensive play-by-play for the televised portion of Bellator 244’s card below.
Many readers check in before, during and after the fights to share their thoughts on all of the action. Feel free to leave a comment (or 244) about the bouts and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show — it’s always a lot of fun!
BELLATOR 244 QUICK RESULTS:
Ryan Bader vs. Vadim Nemkov — Nemkov TKO 3:02 R2.
Julia Budd vs. Jessy Miele — Budd UD 30-26, 30-27 X2.
Roy Nelson vs. Valentin Moldavsky — Moldavsky UD 30-27 X3.
John Salter vs. Andrew Kapel — Salter sub (arm triangle) 3:11 R3.
Yaroslav Amosov vs. Mark Lemminger — Amosov TKO (doctor) 5:00 R1.
Adam Piccolotti vs. Sidney Outlaw — Outlaw SD 29-28, 28-29, 29-28.
Erik Perez vs. Joshua Hill — Hill UD 29-28, 30-27 X2.
Lucas Brennan vs. Will Smith — Brennan TKO 4:14 R2.
Vladimir Tokov vs. Chris Gonzalez — Gonzalez SD 29-28, 28-29, 30-27.
Weber Almeida vs. Salim Mukhidinov — Almeida KO 3:57 R1.
Vladyslav Parubchenko vs. John de Jesus — de Jesus UD 29-28 X2, 30-27.
BELLATOR 244 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
Ryan Bader vs. Vadim Nemkov
Black trunks with red trim and blue gloves for the 11-2 Nemkov, the Fedor Emelianenko protege out of Stary Oskol, Russia, winner of four straight fights. Black trunks with red gloves for “Darth” Bader, 27-5 (1 NC) and unbeaten for eight fights in a row, fighting out of Gilbert, Arizona. Our referee in charge for the main event is Kerry Hatley. Both men tap gloves as Hatley gives the final instructions.
Round 1: Another tap of gloves to open the contest. Both men are swinging aggressively. Nemkov ducks a big right hand. Bader throws a couple of leg kicks. Nemkov works the left jab. Nemkov goes to the body. High kick from Nemkov is checked. Bader backs Nemkov up with a left and then throws a wild right that misses. Nemkov comes forward with a flurry and Bader backs up and bounces off the cage. Body shot from Nemkov. Nemkov comes forward with a left and a head kick but they aren’t flush. Big left hand from Bader. Nemkov throws a right in response. Three minutes gone. Bader with a clean left. Nemkov with a right jab. Bader gets a takedown at 3:40. Nemkov tried to push Bader off to the side but he got square between the hips then let him back up at 4:24. Bader with the overhand right and the body kick. Nemkov with two kicks. 10-9 Bader but it was a very close round.
Round 2: Nemkov with a left hand early. Bader with a combo. Leg kick from Nemkov. Nemkov stings him with a shot and Bader is backing up. Bader swings and misses with a left. The ref calls time as Bader took a finger to the left eye. He signals that he’s ready to go quickly and Hatley calls time in. 1:16 gone by. Nemkov with lefts to the body and chin and a right. Bader fires power strikes back. Nemkov with the left again. Nemkov has Bader backing up this round. Nemkov knocks Bader down with a head kick and Bader is being swarmed. Nemkov pours it on and Bader starts to get up and gets dropped again. Bader is clinging to Nemkov around the waist.Bader gets back up and gets dropped and Hatley has finally seen enough. It’s over at 3:02.
Final result: Vadim Nemkov wins via technical knockout at 3:02 of the second round.
Julia Budd vs. Jessy Miele
Black trunks and shirt with blue gloves for Miele, record of 9-3, currently on a four fight win streak. Gibson MMA trunks and top with red gloves for the former champion Budd, record of 13-3 coming off a loss to Cris Cyborg her last time out. Miele came in over weight at 147 while Budd made the one lb. allowance at 145.8. Miele fights out of Waterbury, CT and Budd out of Port Moody, B.C., Canada. Our referee in charge is Dan Miragliotta.
Round 1: Miele lands a body kick 27 seconds in. Both fighters are light on their feet, circling, bobbing and weaving as they look for the angles they want to hit. Budd is slowly inching Miele toward the cage. Miele tries to get the range back with a push kick but eats a big right hand. So far each time Miele tries to close the distance she gets her head snapped back. Budd continues to find a home for the right hand. Push kick from Budd. Budd loads up the right but misses. Another big right cleans Miele’s clock. Miele is hurt and Lance Gibson is calling for Budd to come forward. She closes the distance at 3:57 and has Miele against the cage. Knees from close range for Budd. Budd takes her down at 4:40 and is on top to end the round. 10-9 Budd.
Round 2: Budd’s corner asked her if she’d finish the fight this round and she said YES. She’s certainly coming forward with confidence, right arm cocked and loaded at her side, just waiting to fire it off. Miele lands a straight left in the exchanges and momentarily backs Budd up, but she recovers and reasserts with a right kick and right hand. No one on commentary or in her corner is calling for it but Miele’s so used to the right hand I’d try a spinning head kick just to see if she’s not ready for it. Budd with a body kick and a combo. Budd grabs the muay thai clinch to throw knees and puts Miele on the cage. She trips Miele to the ground at 4:10. Gibson is calling for “short elbows short elbows short elbows.” It’s another 10-9 for Budd.
Round 3: There’s not realistically much chance for Miele to win at this point other than a lucky punch behind the ear or a takedown to a submission. Instead it’s Budd who easily gets the single leg at 42 seconds. Miele keeps Budd in half guard but that’s all she can do. Budd is trying to lock up an arm triangle but the fence is keeping Budd from passing to the right side easily. Miele is also using her legs to trap Budd’s foot. Budd gets full mount at 3:16. Right hands to the body from Budd. Rights to the head. Miele bucks her back into half guard. Gibson is yelling “You want to finish it here” with 30 seconds left. She lets Miele stand up with under 10 seconds left to try to land a big shot. 10-9 Budd.
Final result: Julia Budd wins via unanimous decision of 30-26, 30-27 X2.
Roy Nelson vs. Valentin Moldavsky
Black trunks with red trim and blue gloves for the 9-1 Moldavsky. Black trunks with numerous logos and red gloves for the 23-18 Nelson. Moldavsky fights out of Stary Oskol, Russia. Nelson fights out of Las Vegas, Nevada. The referee is Kerry Hatley.
Round 1: Nelson shoots for a takedown at 27 seconds. Moldavsky turns him around and puts Nelson’s back on the fence. The two shove each other back and forth like a pair of moose who have locked antlers. Moldavsky gets a few knees in but has a hard time dropping levels due to Nelson’s midsection. Two minutes gone. Moldavsky sneaks in a left elbow before they tie up arms. Moldavsky keeps trying to peel Nelson off so he can let the left hand go, and he finally does and moves back to center at 2:50. He unloads a leg kick. Nelson comes forward leading hard on his left foot. Moldavsky gets into range, avoids a huge uppercut, and clocks Nelson in the head with a few hard shots. Moldavsky goes body-head and throws a knee. He tags Nelson with an uppercut at 3:59. Inside elbow. Another uppercut. Nelson covers up until the two break. Moldavsky dances around him and tags Nelson with a right that stings him. 10-9 Moldavsky.
Round 2: Moldavsky is dancing in front of Nelson as “Big Country” is trying to bait him to walk into the overhand right. Moldavsky closes the distance and pushes Nelson into the cage. Moldavsky lands a left elbow and Nelson tries to drop levels. It doesn’t work. Short elbow again at 1:33. Moldavsky is the one to drop levels now. Nelson momentarily traps the head but Moldavsky easily pops free. Left elbow right hand for Moldavsky. Nelson throws an elbow of his own and eats two in return. Nelson is breathing hard with three minutes gone. Moldavsky keeps chipping away with the short range shots.Nelson throws a knee. Three straight left hands for Moldavsky. He steps back to uncork a right hand. Left left. Knee from Nelson. Nelson wants to drop levels but Moldavsky blocks it. 10-9 Moldavsky.
Round 3: Nelson is in a familiar position now if you’ve watched his last four fights — a man in desperate need to land a home run shot to bail himself out. Moldavsky is bouncing on his feet and peppering Nelson with combos. Nelson is plodding forward looking to land the left jab and the overhand right. Moldavsky is mixing in the leg kicks to make a slow Nelson move even slower. Nelson tries to chase Moldavsky down and gets dinged for his efforts. Moldavsky pushes him into the fence at 2:15. Knees to the body from Moldavsky. Nelson again fails to drop levels at 2:40. Left hands to the head by Moldavsky. Knee from Moldavsky. On significant strikes landed it has to be a three-to-one or better advantage by now. Uppercut from Moldavsky. 90 seconds left. Moldavsky teases a level drop and Nelson breaks free. Moldavsky circles. Leg kick. Nelson teases a Superman punch that’s not even close to landing. Moldavsky puts him on the cage again. Body kick from Moldavsky as they separate. Nelson looks for the overhand right late and can’t land it clean. 10-9 Moldavsky.
Final result: Valentin Moldavsky wins by unanimous decision 30-27 X3.
John Salter vs. Andrew Kapel
Salter has blue trunks and red gloves, bringing a record of 17-4, fighting out of Wilmington, North Carolina. Kapel has black trunks and blue gloves, bringing a record of 15-6, fighting out of Denver, Colorado. The ref is Dan Miragliotta.
Round 1: Both men circle cautiously and throw jabs. Salter gets a takedown and is on top between Kapel’s legs, trying to get over the knees to side control. He opts instead to stand back up at 1:27 and lets a right hand go. Kapel catches a foot and closes the distance. Salter gets a double leg at 2:04 and again he’s looking to pass. Kapel closes the guard. Salter keeps trying to jump to the side and finally gets half guard. Salter moves to full mount at 3:20. Kapel is trying to control the wrists to avoid damage. He sweeps and Salter is on the bottom, but he goes for a triangle choke off his back and uses it to sweep back to the top. 10-9 Salter.
Round 2: Kapel provides the forward pressure early. Salter responds with a heavy left hand then shoots Kapel into the fence, where the double leg with a trip assist puts Kapel on his back again. Salter contorts his entire body until only his right knee is in half guard, and then he jumps to full mount at 1:33. Kapel narrowly avoids an arm triangle choke. Kapel tries and fails to buck Salter off and Salter’s going for the arm triangle again. Salter lets it go and the fighters work for position chest to chest. Kapel fails to buck him again at 2:52. Salter keeps pounding away on the ribs with his right hand, with his left arm wrapped around Kapel’s head. Another failure to shake Salter off at 4:17. Another 10-9 round for Salter.
Round 3: Kapel is once again the man pressing into range early. Salter keeps him at bay with the left hand. They tap gloves after an errant groin kick and Salter immediately takes him down again. Kapel tries and fails to keep Salter from taking full mount at 1:29. It’s a mirror image of the last round from there with the left arm squeezing Kapel’s head and the right hand accreting damage. The arm triangle finally gets sunk in and Kapel taps out at 3:11.
Final result: John Salter via submission (arm triangle choke) 3:11 of round three.
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