All of a sudden, the once frozen wasteland known as the Bellator MMA light heavyweight division is heating up.
When Vadim Nemkov dethroned Ryan Bader at Bellator 244 last August, it felt like the thaw after an ice age. The title had finally changed hands after being defended only once in the previous three years, time during which Bader made an extended foray into the heavyweight division, winning the Grand Prix and the belt in dominant fashion. Better yet, Nemkov himself seemed like a breath of fresh air; while the light heavyweight division worldwide is perceived to be aging and lacking in depth, Nemkov is Bellator’s only champion under 30.