Two-division champion Ryan Bader will return to 205 pounds to defend his light heavyweight title against top contender Vadim Nemkov at Bellator 244 on Aug. 21.
Multiple sources confirmed the fight to MMA Fighting on Wednesday with bout agreements issued to both athletes. The matchup was initially reported by Sports.ru.
Bader hasn’t competed at light heavyweight since 2017 when he defended his Bellator title against Linton Vassell. Since that time, Bader has been focused on the heavyweight division where he won the Bellator Grand Prix to become champion with a first round knockout over Fedor Emelianenko
Now he will move back to 205 pounds to face off with Nemkov, who has won six fights in a row overall including a perfect 4-0 record in Bellator.