Bellator 297: Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero finally moves onto the main event for the light heavyweight championship as the champ Vadim Nemkov looks to defend his title once more as he takes on title contender and former UFC middleweight title contender Yoel Romero. Nemkov just successfully defended his title for a third time when he dominated longtime UFC veteran Corey Anderson meanwhile, Yoel Romero lost his first Bellator fight via split decision and then rattled off two vicious knockout wins en route to his first Bellator title fight. With that said, check out our Bellator odds series for our Nemkov-Romero prediction and pick.
Vadim Nemkov (16-2) has looked nearly unstoppable during his time in Bellator as he is 8-0 with the promotion and has defended his title three times since knocking out Ryan Bader to obtain it. He is looking to make it title defense number four when he takes on the dangerous Yoel Romero on Friday night.
Yoel Romero (15-6) was once thought of as one of the scariest fighters in the history of the UFC's middleweight division until age finally caught up to him a bit. Recently, it looks like he has turned back the time with back-to-back brutal finishes against tough competition. He will be looking for the biggest win in his Bellator career when he challenges Vadim Nemkov's light heavyweight title.
Bellator 297 Odds: Vadim Nemkov-Yoel Romero Odds
Vadim Nemkov: -600
Yoel Romero: +410
How to Watch Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero
TV: Showtime
Stream: Showtime App
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)
Why Vadim Nemkov Will Win
Vadim Nemkov is arguably one of the best fighters in the history of Bellator. He is the protege of the great Fedor Emelianenko and it shows in his fighting style and ability to beat his opponents no matter where the fight goes. He is 16 years younger than his adversary which is unheard of when talking about title fights.
He has exceptional kickboxing, speed, and footwork that will make it tough on Romero to mount any type of offense. With that said, Romero is still exceptionally dangerous if he is able to land on his opponents. As long as Nemkov can utilize his speed and movement he can certainly out-strike Romero with relative ease for the majority of this fight.
Why Yoel Romero Will Win
Yoel Romero was once thought of as the best middleweight the UFC has to offer but as he aged he started to slip up against the top of the division. The thing is that Romero is still dangerous even at age 46 and is an Olympic wrestler. He may not be a spring chicken like he once was but that doesn't make him less dangerous no matter where this fight goes.
Romero will need to be able to get within range against the kicking and movement of Nemkov in this fight. If he is able to get past the kicks and get into boxing range where he can land some devastating blows he certainly has a chance to land something big and win his first-ever Bellator title.
Final Vadim Nemkov-Yoel Romero Prediction & Pick
Vadim Nemkov has been almost impossible to beat thus far in his time in Bellator and I don't expect much in this matchup either. While this fight would be different if Romero was in his prime but he is way far past that at this point at age 46. He is at a pretty sizable speed and volume discrepancy in this fight and if he just tries to stand there, walk forward, and try to counter Nemkov will strike circles around him. Ultimately, Nemkov utilizes his speed and striking arsenal to just outstrike and outpoint Romero to a wide unanimous decision victory.
Final Vadim Nemkov-Yoel Romero Prediction & Pick: Vadim Nemkov (-600)
Follow Us
Subscribe