Vadim Nemkov Record, stats and next fight

Analysis

Vadim Nemkov is a Russian fighter trained in combat sambo under Fedor Emelianenko, now the PFL heavyweight world champion after a long reign over the light heavyweight division at Bellator. He holds a professional record of twenty wins, two losses, and one no contest, his most recent fight a submission win over Renan Ferreira on December 13, 2025, in Décines-Charpieu, France.

Career

Born on June 20, 1992, Vadim Nemkov first competed in combat sambo, a discipline in which he became a multiple-time amateur world and European champion, before turning to professional MMA on May 31, 2013, with a TKO win over Magomed Datsiev at an event organized by Union of MMA, in Russia. Trained in particular by Fedor Emelianenko, he reeled off several wins on the Russian circuits before heading to Japan, where he won twice at Rizin Fighting Federation in late 2015 against Joaquim Ferreira and Goran Reljić. It was there, however, that he suffered his only two career losses, to Jiří Procházka by TKO on December 31, 2015, then by split decision to Karl Albrektsson in April 2016.

Bellator Career

Nemkov bounced back by signing with Bellator in 2017. He reeled off wins over Philipe Lins, Liam McGeary, and Phil Davis, before capturing the light heavyweight title on August 21, 2020, by beating Ryan Bader via TKO. He successfully defended his belt against Phil Davis and then Julius Anglickas, before a no contest following an accidental clash of heads against Corey Anderson in April 2022. He then beat Anderson by unanimous decision in November 2022, winning the Bellator light heavyweight Grand Prix along the way, then retained his title against Yoel Romero in June 2023, in what became his final title defense in the promotion.

PFL Career

After the Bellator-PFL merger, Nemkov vacated his light heavyweight title and moved up in weight. On February 24, 2024, he submitted Bruno Cappelozza in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on a card pitting the PFL and Bellator rosters against each other. On January 25, 2025, he beat Timothy Johnson by submission in Dubai. On December 13, 2025, he became the first PFL heavyweight champion by submitting Renan Ferreira with an arm-triangle choke in the first round, at the PFL Europe finals in Décines-Charpieu, near Lyon, joining Johnny Eblen among the promotion’s reigning champions. He is set to defend his belt on November 14, 2026, against Sergei Bilostenniy in Dubai, in his first fight in nearly a year.

Fighting Style

A product of combat sambo, Vadim Nemkov combines wrestling, throws, and a ground submission arsenal with striking solid enough to have produced ten wins by KO or TKO. That versatility, honed within Fedor Emelianenko’s camp, makes him one of the most complete fighters in the PFL heavyweight division, able to finish a fight standing or on the ground depending on the situation.

Record

• Professional record: 20 wins, 2 losses, 1 no contest
• Wins by KO or TKO: 10
• Wins by submission: 6
• Wins by decision: 4
• Titles: former Bellator light heavyweight champion, reigning PFL heavyweight champion since December 2025
• Honors: winner of the 2022 Bellator light heavyweight Grand Prix

Fighter Profile

• Full name: Vadim Alexandrovich Nemkov
• Nickname: no known nickname
• Born: June 20, 1992
• Nationality: Russian
• Height: not precisely confirmed by available sources
• Reach: 6’4″ (193 cm)
• Division: heavyweight
• Team: FedorTeam Alexander Nevsky, Stary Oskol
• Coach: Fedor Emelianenko
• Base: combat sambo

Sources

• en.wikipedia.org
• www.sherdog.com
• cagesidepress.com