Corey Anderson has revealed that his highly anticipated trilogy fight against Vadim Nemkov is no longer happening. Just days after the PFL announced the third meeting between the two light heavyweights for the upcoming event in Dubai on January 25th, Anderson has claimed the matchup has been scrapped.
Corey Anderson has revealed that his highly anticipated trilogy fight against Vadim Nemkov is no longer happening. Days after the PFL announced the third fight between Anderson and Nemkov, Anderson claims the matchup has been cancelled.
Corey Anderson Breaks The News
Corey Anderson took to social media to share the news with his fans. He stated that Nemkov initially agreed to the fight and then backed out. In a lengthy Instagram post, Anderson shared the message he received from both the PFL and Bellator officials:
“Breaking announcement folks, the trilogy will not be happening,”
“Woke up to a text this morning from PFL and Bellator saying ‘Vadim refuses to fight you.’ Verbatim their words is ‘you’re too tough of a fight for him. That’s what he says but he wants to stay on the card and fight a lesser opponent. Can’t make this stuff up.”
He criticized Nemkov for backing out, questioning his decision despite being labeled the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. Corey Anderson continued when he added;
“You call yourself the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the organization but you’re scared to fight somebody that you’ve already fought twice on seven weeks’ notice.”
No Official Statement From PFL or Bellator
As of now, neither PFL nor Bellator officials have provided a comment on the cancellation of the fight. The announcement has left fans confused and disappointed, especially after the fight was initially touted as a major attraction for the Dubai event.
Background of Proposed Fight
The fight was set to take place after Nemkov’s original opponent, Ante Delija, fell off the card for undisclosed reasons. This would have served as a third meeting between the two Bellator veterans, following their first bout which ended in a no-contest due to an accidental clash of heads. Anderson was largely dominating that fight before the unfortunate incident.
The rematch saw Nemkov turn the tables, winning a dominant unanimous decision to clinch the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix title. Nemkov then defended his belt successfully against Yoel Romero before vacating the title to move up to heavyweight. He then went on to defeat Bruno Cappelozza by second-round submission in February.
Anderson’s Frustration with Lack of Activity
For Corey Anderson, this cancellation adds to his frustration regarding his recent lack of activity. After claiming the vacant light heavyweight title in March, Anderson had hoped for a quick turnaround. However, the fight against Nemkov, which seemed like a promising opportunity, is now off the table. If the situation does not change, Anderson will have to continue waiting as the PFL works to rebook him for a future matchup.
As of now, the fight fans were eagerly anticipating between Anderson and Nemkov is no longer happening, leaving Anderson once again without a fight and further delaying his return to action.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
