Anonymity did not suit Vadim Nemkov.
In a true breakthrough performance, the Fedor Emelianenko protégé brought down Ryan Bader with a second-round head kick and follow-up punches to capture the Bellator MMA light heavyweight championship in the Bellator 244 headliner on Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Bader bowed out 3:02 into Round 2, his 1,154-day reign atop the 205-pound weight class at an end.
Speed was the primary differentiator. Nemkov spent much of the first round establishing a foothold, as he knocked the champion off-balance more than once with power punches and negated his only takedown with an active guard.