Nemkov Faces Johnson in PFL’s Road to Dubai Amid Bellator’s Final Chapter

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Vadim Nemkov, the former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, will step into the cage against Tim Johnson in the co-main event of the Professional Fighters League’s (PFL) Road to Dubai Champions Series on January 25, 2025. The event, held at Coca-Cola Arena, marks the opening of the PFL’s 2025 schedule and the final chapter of the Bellator MMA brand.

Nemkov’s journey to this fight has been anything but smooth. Originally slated to face 2022 PFL Heavyweight Champion Ante Delija, the bout was scrapped due to Delija’s injury. A planned trilogy fight with Corey Anderson also fell through, leaving Nemkov to face Johnson on short notice. “I was training all this time,” Nemkov told MMA Knockout. “The whole fact that I wasn’t aware who is gonna be my opponent wasn’t really a good moment, but I was training all the time.”

Johnson, a seasoned UFC and Bellator veteran, is no stranger to Nemkov’s camp. “We know him pretty well,” Nemkov said. “We had Valentin Moldavsky who was preparing for him, Fedor Emelianenko, and so we definitely know him pretty well, so we’re gonna try to get a win over him.”

The event also carries emotional weight for Nemkov, as it signifies the end of Bellator, where he spent much of his career and achieved significant success. “At some point I understood, like when the PFL purchased Bellator we kind of knew that that’s gonna happen one day, sooner or later,” he said. “It is a little bit sad and sentimental, because I spent a lot of time, I was a champion there for a long time.”

Nemkov, who holds a professional record of 17-2-1, is not interested in participating in the PFL’s 2025 tournament structure but is open to high-profile super fights. “I would prefer super fights,” he said. “If it’s gonna be [Francis] Ngannou, I’m ready, and if they’re gonna offer like [Ryan] Bader, or anybody else.”

The Road to Dubai Champions Series will be headlined by undefeated Bellator Lightweight Champion Usman Nurmagomedov facing Paul Hughes. Nemkov expressed excitement about the stacked card, saying, “Turn on the TV on January 25, and it’s gonna be a lot of exciting fights…I’m really excited that I’m gonna fight on the last tournament from the Bellator brand.”

As Nemkov approaches the end of his current PFL contract, he remains focused on staying active. “I’m at the peak of my fighting career,” he said. “If they’re able to provide what we were supposed to do from the beginning, with three or four fights a year, I would be fine with that.”