Ryan Bader is no longer a two-division champion after a drubbing by Vadim Nemkov at Bellator 244.
The 28-year-old Russian dropped Bader with a head kick before a swarm that produced two more knockdowns, the latter of which came as the champ ran away. After Bader’s legs went limp and he slumped to the canvas, the bout was mercifully called off at the 3:02 mark of the second round.
“I was actually more surprised that the referee wasn’t stopping the fight,” said Nemkov, who picked up his fifth straight win under the Bellator and his first title in a major MMA promotion.