Vadim Nemkov returned to heavyweight and he did it in style.
On Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nemkov faced 2021 PFL heavyweight champion Bruno Cappelozza in the first champion vs. champion fight on PFL vs. Bellator. It was Nemkov’s first fight at heavyweight in nine years, and his return to the division after vacating his Bellator light heavyweight title, and the Russian phenom looked just as dominant up a weight class, demolishing Cappelozza in the second round to claim the “Super Belt.”
Despite looking bigger as a heavyweight, Nemkov retained his speed from 205 pounds, darting around Cappelozza on the feet and mixing in grappling, leaving the former PFL champion completely flummoxed. In the second round, Nemkov kept the pressure on, scoring a takedown and quickly moving to secure and arm-triangle choke. Nemkov moved from mount to side-control, squeezing all the while and Cappelozza simply had no answer, going to sleep instead of tapping out.
Check out the highlight below.
The win moved Nemkov to 17-2, 1 NC in his career and afterwards he called for a title shot, though he did not specify whether he wanted a shot at the Bellator or PFL heavyweight champion.
This story originally appeared on MMA fighting