<ul class="summary-list"><li>One of <keyword id="12118724" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bellator-mma" source="Orion">Bellator MMA</keyword>'s greatest cards is booked for April 15 in San Jose.</li><li>A.J. McKee and <keyword id="13147845" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="patricio-freire" source="Orion">Patricio Freire</keyword> will headline, with <keyword id="13197730" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vadim-nemkov" source="Orion">Vadim Nemkov</keyword> vs. <keyword id="13197731" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="corey-anderson" source="Orion">Corey Anderson</keyword> in the co-main.</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/bellator-mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bellator MMA</a> is in the midst of booking one of the greatest events in its company's history with an April 15 offering set to take place inside the SAP Center in San Jose.Fast-rising superstar fighter <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/aj-mckee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A.J. McKee</a> makes his long-awaited return to the cage after his iconic run to the featherweight grand prix final in 2021, a $1 million bout in which he claimed a thrilling knockout win over <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/patricio-freire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patricio Freire</a>.The legendary Brazilian combatant Freire has been a mainstay at the highest echelons of Bellator <keyword id="11922276" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma" source="Orion">MMA</keyword> for a decade and had <a href="https://www.insider.com/pitbull-freire-is-the-bellator-goat-according-to-scott-coker-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earned praise as the greatest fighter in the promotion's history</a> by its president Scott Coker.Now, McKee and Freire will again trade blows as they headline the San Jose card to determine whether the 26-year-old retains the 145-pound title or if veteran fighter Freire, 34, can reclaim his crown."Hosting the world's best mixed martial artists in the great city of San Jose is something that has been important to me during my career as a fight promoter, and I'm happy to continue that with our card on April 15," said Coker in a statement sent to Insider.<h2>McKee vs. Freire is not the only significant showdown April 15</h2><div type="image" title="April 15 will be one of Bellator MMA's biggest events." height="703" width="1250" msid="89648434" hostid="261"></div>Coker has booked a second significant showdown for April 15 as the light heavyweight grand prix final lands on that date, too.Like the company's statement featherweight grand prix, the eight-man tournament in the 205-pound division has been a multi-event competition designed to determine one thing — the baddest man in that weight class.The competition has featured big-name contestants like Ryan Bader, Lyoto Machida, and Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, but there are only two fighters left in the bracket.Those fighters — Bellator champion Vadim Nemkov and former UFC competitor Corey Anderson — conclude the competition in a bout that sees a $1 million check handed to the winner."The rematch between A.J. McKee and Patricio Pitbull for the featherweight title, as well as our light heavyweight final featuring Vadim Nemkov against Corey Anderson, are two fights that could headline any event on their own," Coker said."But we are bringing both to SAP Center at San Jose on the same night to show the fans here that we truly value their support throughout the years."Only half of the card has been constructed so far, with six matches formally announced.Though the two high-stakes fights will get broadcast live on the premium network Showtime, the preliminary card will be aired on YouTube — by Showtime and Bellator MMA.Here are the four matches confirmed for YouTube:<ul><li>Tim Johnson vs. Tyrell Fortune — heavyweight</li><li>Kyle Crutchmer vs. Michael Lombardo — welterweight</li><li>Shane Keefe vs. Tyson Miller — welterweight</li><li>Gaston Bolanos vs. Cass Bell — 140-pound catchweight</li></ul>

Bellator MMA is booking one of its greatest cards of all time with an incredible April 15 offering

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6150626" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bellator-mma">Bellator MMA</keyword> restarted its live event business on April 2 and continues with another show on April 9.</li><li>On Friday, the company's highly-anticipated light heavyweight tournament begins.</li><li>Bellator boss <keyword id="3395273" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Scott-Coker">Scott Coker</keyword> went through the bracket with Insider correspondent Alan Dawson.</li></ul><keyword id="9815973" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vadim-nemkov">Vadim Nemkov</keyword> is the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/bellator-mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bellator MMA</a> light heavyweight tournament favorite, according to the Hollywood-based <keyword id="6403489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma">MMA</keyword> firm's president Scott Coker.After a four-month hiatus, Bellator restarted its live events business on April 2 with a headline bout between <a href="https://www.insider.com/pitbull-freire-is-the-bellator-goat-according-to-scott-coker-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patricio "Pitbull" Freire</a> and Emmanuel Sanchez.Pitbull won the fight with <a href="https://www.insider.com/bellator-mma-patricio-pitbull-chokes-emmanuel-sanchez-unconscious-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a smash-and-grab first-round submission</a> and advanced to the company's featherweight Grand Prix final against A.J. McKee, which <a href="https://www.insider.com/pitbull-freire-vs-aj-mckee-will-happen-scott-coker-says-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coker told Insider would take place in two to three months</a>.On Friday, another Grand Prix tournament gets underway as Coker put together an eight-man competition for the company's 205-pound competitors.Though Coker regards Nemkov as the king until he's dethroned, he highlighted a competitive field that showcases much of his firm's top talent in the division.These are the dates and matches for the four quarterfinals:<ul><li>Bellator 256: <keyword id="9815974" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ryan-bader">Ryan Bader</keyword> vs. Lyoto Machida - April 9</li><li>Bellator 257: Vadim Nemkov vs. Phil Davis - April 16</li><li>Bellator 257: Corey Anderson vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov - April 16</li><li>Bellator 258: Anthony Johnson vs. Yoel Romero - May 7</li></ul><h2>A Bellator MMA light heavyweight tournament was a no-brainer for company execs</h2><div type="image" title="Scott Coker, Bellator MMA boss" height="1000" width="2000" msid="81940294" hostid="261"></div>An influx of top-tier talent at the 205-pound weight class prompted decision-makers at Bellator to propose a change of plans to Showtime, its new broadcast partner in the US.Originally, Bellator wanted to push a women's flyweight tournament. However, when they signed fighters like Anthony "Rumble" Johnson and Yoel Romero from the UFC, a light heavyweight bracket became the priority."What happened was, we had Ryan Bader, who was a champion at 205," Coker told us. "We had Machida. Then we signed Corey Anderson. Then we signed Rumble Johnson and Yoel Romero."Really, the thought was to do the 125-pound female tournament with Liz Carmouche, Ilima-Lei MacFarlane, Juliana Velasquez - it would be our very first female tournament."But then we started signing all these killers at light heavyweight, and we thought that's it. We had Nemkov, a killer, and Phil Davis, a killer."Coker then hailed his light heavyweight division as the best 205-pound weight class on the planet - superior even to the UFC's, which Jan Blachowicz currently dominates."So I said, 'This has to be our tournament, guys.' They all agreed, said it's a no-brainer. I called up Showtime because I knew we were making the jump to Showtime, and I said, 'There's been a change of plans. We want to head in this direction,' and they loved it."It's going to be an amazing light heavyweight tournament. It's got the old guard, the OG's, as I call them, and the young kid from Russia [Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov] who has had an intense record."I've seen him fight on film, but not in person, and I'm expecting him to be dangerous."And Nemkov, I'm telling you right now … until someone dethrones this kid, he's the best in the world."<h2>Many storylines are developing, and the tournament hasn't even started</h2><div type="image" title="Bellator MMA light heavyweight bracket" height="844" width="1500" msid="81940298" hostid="261"></div>All four quarterfinals will be contested within the next month, with the first match taking place Friday.Though it features the Bellator heavyweight champion in Bader, and a former UFC star Lyoto Machida, it is the May 7 quarterfinal between Johnson and Romero that has captivated the attention of fight fans.The matchup pairs two former UFC studs in a fight that never materialized for the Las Vegas-based promotion, despite fan demand.Johnson vs. Romero could have headlined a tournament final by itself, which begs the question of why it's taking place in the first round, not the last."I learned a lot from my first big tournament - the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament [in 2012]," Coker told us."We had Alistair Overeem, Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, Andrei Arlovski, Antonio Silva, [and Dan Cormier]. We had a great, eight-man tournament."And the thought process was to put Alistair and Fedor on opposite sides [of the bracket] because that's the fight people wanted to see at the time - and they'll eventually fight [in the final]."But the problem was they never got down there, and they never fought for various reasons."Coker was reminded of his disappointment in not being able to book Overeem vs. Emelianenko in the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix when he was creating the Bellator light heavyweight bracket."The thought process here was to do it backward. You take the fight that people want to see and make that first."If they got down to the finals, they'd have to fight each other anyway. You're going to have to fight him sooner or later. So why not do it first when it matters the most, and then you have tremendous interest, eyeballs, the launch with Showtime - a new genesis for Bellator MMA."If you put them on opposite ends of the bracket and somebody gets hurt, injured, somebody loses, you have to wait a year to put the fight together."People are really excited about that match-up, and I learned a lot from the first time around with the Strikeforce tournament."<h2>Bader's inclusion in the tournament is a personal one</h2><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1379498776734273536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2021</a></blockquote>Coker told us Bader has "a personal vendetta" to settle after losing Bellator's light heavyweight title to Nemkov in August 2020.He lauded the American fighter as "one of the best" he's ever seen, who possesses "a complete game."Coker said: "We offered to move him up to heavyweight or stay at light heavyweight. But he said he wanted to get this guy because 'Nemkov is getting on my nerves. I need to fight this guy.'"He wanted to stay there so he could fight Nemkov again and win this thing. He has a goal in mind: To beat Nemkov, knock him out or sub him, and win the tournament. He entered the tournament because he has a personal vendetta."Standing in his way is Machida on April 9, and the winner of an April 16 match between Anderson and Yagshimuradov, before he can even get to Nemkov, who has his own gauntlet run of opponents to get through.Coker, though, has high praise for Nemkov. "The way Nemkov dismantled Ryan … maybe Ryan had a bad night, I don't know. But any fighter who could do what he did to Ryan, the way he did it, it's a very big accomplishment."Ryan is no joke. But Nemkov was quicker, had good footwork, and when it came time to connect with the speed, he was there first. To me, that's where I see the difference."Ryan is a great wrestler. And he had a hard time taking him down and keeping him down. Nemkov has been training with Fedor Emelianenko - the greatest heavyweight of all time - that's Nemkov's mentor!"Coker singled out Yagshimuradov as "the dark horse in the tournament" but said the favorite, on form, has to be Nemkov."He's young, fast, explosive, can kick, avoid takedowns, and can take you down. He's a complete fighter. He's the guy to beat, he's the guy, and he's our current champ. He's the king until he gets de-throned."

Vadim Nemkov is the Bellator MMA light heavyweight tournament favorite, according to Scott Coker, but the most anticipated bout will be in the first round

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="9815973" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vadim-nemkov">Vadim Nemkov</keyword> won the <keyword id="6150626" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bellator-mma">Bellator MMA</keyword> light heavyweight championship when he dropped the former champion with a head kick, then threw 60 unanswered shots.</li><li>Nemkov dominated <keyword id="9815974" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ryan-bader">Ryan Bader</keyword> in the 205-pound tussle at the behind-closed-doors Bellator 244 show in the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.</li><li>"That was one of the most explosive two-round fights I've seen," Bellator boss Scott Coker said at the post-fight press conference.</li><li>Watch the second round finish below.</li></ul>Bellator MMA crowned a new champion when Vadim Nemkov dropped Ryan Bader with a head kick, then threw 60 unanswered strikes at a behind-closed-doors show Friday.Bader entered the light heavyweight match — a defense of his Bellator title in the main event of Bellator 244 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut — as one of the Hollywood-based fight firm's most decorated pros.The dual champion at 205-pounds and also above, at heavyweight, Bader was looking for his eighth win in four years, but was upset by a fast-rising, 28-year-old Nemkov.A protege of the iconic heavyweight Fedor Emilanenko, Nemkov dominated Bader from the off, floored him in the second round, and threw dozens of unanswered shots while Bader was on the mat.As the American got back to his feet, Nemkov dropped him again and finished the fight for good.Bader's reign came to an end, and a new light heavyweight era — the Nemkov era — began.Watch the finish right here:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1297024470385922049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2020</a></blockquote>With the win, Nemkov advanced his record to 12 wins (nine knockouts, two submissions, and one decision) against two losses.Since joining Bellator in 2017, Nemkov has won five fights in a row (four of which have been by finish).During that run he he knocked out a former Professional Fighters League champion in Philipe Lins; finished, decisioned, and submitted three former Bellator champions in Liam McGeary, Phil Davis, and Rafael Carvalho, and now, perhaps most impressively of all, won the light heavyweight strap with a second round knockout win over Bader.Bellator analyst Robin Black called Nemkov "a terrifying martial artist … an artist of carnage" <a href="https://twitter.com/BellatorMMA/status/1297700148898799616" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on Twitter</a>."That was one of the most explosive two-round fights I've seen," said Bellator boss Scott Coker at the post-fight press conference."It was a very high level," he said."Bader is a world class fighter, athlete … it just didn't work out for him tonight but Nemkov is a beast. Wrestling with the top wrestlers in the world, great striking. But it was the movement [which was troubling Bader] and the speed."Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/jordan-wright-leaves-hole-in-ufc-opponents-face-wins-debut-2020-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">An unbeaten American left a hole in his opponent's face which was so bloody, the UFC doctor stopped the fight after 91 seconds</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/luana-carolina-wont-fight-until-2021-after-ariane-lipski-submission-2020-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Luana Carolina will not fight until 2021 after hearing 3 'pops' in her leg during horrifying loss to 'Violence Queen' Ariane Lipski</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/anderson-silva-and-conor-mcgregor-agreed-a-ufc-mega-fight-2020-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anderson Silva says he agreed a super-fight against Conor McGregor, but the UFC didn't want it to happen</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/daniel-cormier-was-taken-to-hospital-after-ufc-252-defeat-2020-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daniel Cormier was taken to hospital after he was eye-poked so hard he couldn't see out of it during his UFC loss to Stipe Miocic</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/khabib-nurmagomedov-would-be-glad-to-fight-conor-mcgregor-2020-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Khabib Nurmagomedov says he would happily fight Conor McGregor again in one of the biggest UFC bouts of all time</a>

Bellator MMA crowned a new champion when Vadim Nemkov dropped Ryan Bader with a head kick, then threw 60 unanswered strikes

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12118724" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bellator-mma" source="Orion">Bellator MMA</keyword> has three events in five weeks in Europe.</li><li>It has received a big reaction from fans in multiple European cities, but is excited to head to Russia.</li><li>Russia is a hotbed for fighting, and the presence of <keyword id="12224427" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fedor-emelianenko" source="Orion">Fedor Emelianenko</keyword> is a boon for the brand.</li></ul>LONDON - <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/bellator-mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bellator MMA</a> is using Fedor Emelianenko's wild popularity to break further ground in its European strongholds.Emelianenko's celebrity status in Russia is so high that cardboard cutouts of his 6-foot-1, 235-pound frame appear behind the windows of banks, as advertising for credit cards.That's according to head of Bellator Europe, <keyword id="12224428" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-green" source="Orion">David Green</keyword>, who has been tasked with bringing the Los Angeles-based company back to London, to Dublin, and to enter new territory with a show in Moscow.Here are Bellator's upcoming event dates in Europe:<ul><li>Friday, October 1 - Bellator 267: Lima vs. MVP 2 - London, England</li><li>Saturday, October 23 - Bellator 269: Fedor vs. Johnson - Moscow, Russia</li><li>Friday, November 5 - Bellator 270: Gallagher vs. Mix - Dublin, Ireland</li></ul>Insider has reported previously from its London and Dublin shows, and both are home runs for the promotion - particularly in Ireland, where fervent crowds provide unforgettable atmospheres.But after speaking to numerous people at Bellator this week, it is clear that the company is excited about entering the Russian market.It is a chance to have Emelianenko not only compete under the company's banner, but provide an ambassadorial role for the promotion in a country where <keyword id="11922276" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma" source="Orion">MMA</keyword> is life."The plan is to do European shows, and more of them, under the Bellator name," Green told us earlier this week, ahead of an MMA event that will opens its doors for a maximum capacity."We've been waiting for so long, and now we've got three events in five weeks. We're happy to be back in London, to be back in Dublin, but we've been trying to break Moscow for a long time. It's a great market for us."The stars have been aligning for some time. Bellator, via Green, struck a TV deal with Russia's Okko Sport in 2020.The Bellator MMA President <keyword id="12224429" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="scott-coker" source="Orion">Scott Coker</keyword> confirmed to Insider earlier this year that a show in Russia would happen in 2021.And, over recent years, the promotion has signed numerous talents from the region."Okko is a big and ambitious company, which is key to getting a foothold in the country," said Green."When you look at that, combined with the roster we've signed, well, the Russian roster is one of the strongest nations we've got on the Bellator roster."With Fedor at the top and his guys, and then the new guns coming out there, it makes sense to have an event when we could."And so we pulled the trigger on this one about three months ago, and it's probably the best MMA card somebody's put on in Russia, when you look down that list."Here are some of Bellator's notable athletes from Russia:<ul><li>Fedor Emelianenko, heavyweight</li><li>Valentin Moldavsky, heavyweight</li><li>Vadim Nemkov, light heavyweight</li><li>Usman Nurmagomedov, lightweight</li><li>Islam Mamedov, lightweight</li></ul><h2>Bellator is trying to replicate its Irish success in Russia</h2><div type="image" title="Usman Nurmagomedov Bellator MMA" height="1370" width="2000" msid="86686660" hostid="261"></div>In 2019, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bellator-exploiting-market-seemingly-neglected-by-the-ufc-2019-7?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider reported about Bellator's continued plans to exploit a market in Ireland that had otherwise been neglected by the UFC</a>.The Straight Blast Gym owner and coach John Kavanagh, famed for training Conor McGregor, is routinely praised by those at Bellator, and has been regarded as integral to Bellator's growth in that region.Speaking to Insider this week, Green said that his plans in Russia are similar to how Bellator approached the boon of the sport in Dublin."To go into a market and really try and build the traction there, you have to have a few things in your armory," said Green."We have that in Ireland. We have a full house at the 3Arena, a great card, and great fans. I'm hoping for the same thing in Russia."Fedor's a talisman for MMA in Russia, and it's not until you go there when you realize how big the guy is. He's out there on the windows of banks advertising credit cards! Where would that happen in the world? He is a true legend over there."So, to have him on our books, for him to lead a strong gym," where he mentors Nemkov, who "has dominated our light heavyweight division - he just looks great, is a great ambassador for us over there, and represents the next-gen."The baton, Green said, is being passed from Fedor to Nemkov, but they're not the only high-caliber Russians competing for the fight firm."We also have the guys coming out of Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, like his cousin Usman. There's a younger generation coming through."We're in a really good spot, over there. And it's nice for me because it means it's less US focused, and we've got a more global look in our roster."<h2>Bellator wants to get rid of its reputation as a place for old men</h2><div type="image" title="Nemkov beats Bader, Bellator MMA" height="844" width="1500" msid="86686662" hostid="261"></div>Bellator's recent strategy has been curious, as its focus on A.J. McKee, 26 - an American who has only ever fought for Bellator - and 28-year-old Yaroslav Amosov, a Ukrainian who is unbeaten in pro MMA, are both champions in the featherweight and welterweight divisions.There's then other homegrown up-and-comers like Aaron Pico, 25, in America, and Usman Nurmagomedov, 23, from Russia.Bellator has consciously been trying to move away from its stereotype as an old man's league that willingly signs fighters cut from the UFC."The turnaround in the last four to five years has been really interesting," Green said. "And it's been a big part of Scott's plan to get behind that, and build it upwards."What has happened is, we've got great scouts around the world. But, also, the MMA world has gotten a lot smaller over the years."Talented guys in Russia go to train in America, and very quickly people will get to know about them. It's a small community."I also think fans are more accepting of pure talent now. And people don't talk about that."We're maturing as a sport. People might have wanted to see the same guys, which made it hard from a promotional point of view, because, to build a guy is expensive and takes time."But people now really understand MMA, and are well-versed in MMA. So you can truly get these new gems coming through, and get fans who are interested to see how they get on."<h2>Bellator will hold events in key European cities, as well as new ones, in 2022</h2><div type="image" title="Scott Coker and David Green, Bellator MMA" height="938" width="1250" msid="86686663" hostid="261"></div>Bellator is not only focused on the UK, Ireland, and Russia, though.It held a hat-trick of events in Milan during the pandemic, was one of the first organizations to hold an event in Paris after France backtracked on the sport's ban in 2020, and it is trying to develop MMA in Germany, where "the sport is in its infancy," according to Green.Though planning events is tricky while COVID-19 continues to circulate, and restrictions can be imposed at short notice, Bellator will plan more events in 2022."We'll get these three events out the way in 2021, and I'm more confident of booking more events in 2022," Green confirmed."I think when we're trying to build, it's important to go back to where you've had success," he said, indicating where fight fans can expect Bellator MMA shows to take place."Friday will be our best London event, headed by a fantastic card. Ireland is always brilliant. And Russia is very strong, as we've got the roster to play with over there."I'd like to see us back there, but also add a few new cities to the Bellator world tour."Friday's Bellator show will be broadcast on BBC iPlayer in the UK, and Showtime in the US.

Bellator MMA is using Fedor Emelianenko's wild popularity to break further ground in its European strongholds

<ul class="summary-list"><li>It is a good news week for <keyword id="6150626" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bellator-mma">Bellator MMA</keyword>.</li><li>The Santa Monica-based fight firm holds back-to-back behind-closed-doors shows on September 11 and September 12 in Uncasville, Connecticut.</li><li>It also announced Friday that it will be the first major MMA firm to host an event in Paris, France, in front of a limited amount of fans on October 10.</li><li>The France card will be one of a number of European Series events, the Bellator CEO <keyword id="3395273" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Scott-Coker">Scott Coker</keyword> recently told Insider.</li><li>Coker also told us that some of the company's biggest stars — like Douglas Lima, Cris Cyborg, and AJ McKee — will definitely fight in 2020.</li></ul>AJ McKee, Cris Cyborg, and Douglas Lima will all compete for Bellator MMA in 2020.That's according to the company's CEO Scott Coker, who told Insider recently that his international MMA firm has grand plans to navigate the coronavirus era in combat <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> by booking elite matches for its biggest stars and continuing its popular European Series.With three behind-closed-doors live events in the bank, Bellator is used to the new-normal imposed by the pandemic.There has perhaps been no bigger Bellator story in the COVID-era than the Russian light heavyweight <a href="https://www.insider.com/watch-vadim-nemkov-drop-ryan-bader-to-win-bellator-title-2020-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vadim Nemkov dominating the American two-weight champion Ryan Bader</a>, winning the championship in the 205-pound weight class in style with a second round stoppage, last month.But Coker plans to unveil more elite offerings in the coming weeks and months."You will see [Bellator welterweight champion] Douglas Lima," Coker told us."We're trying to put that fight together with [former Bellator middleweight champion] Gegard Mousasi — an amazing fight. That's one of the fights we're really looking forward to."<div type="image" title="Bellator MMA stars" height="750" width="1000" msid="78066131" hostid="261"></div>With Lima being Brazilian and Mousasi hailing from the Netherlands, Coker said that coronavirus-enforced travel restrictions have thwarted some fight announcements, even if the bout agreement is otherwise there."The issue has been the travel ban coming into the country, and now Europe has a travel ban going the other way. So it's been tough."We're working hard through lawyers and with assistance from The White House to get some of the fighters in. We've been successful on a couple and think it will open up a little bit for us," Coker said.Coker told us Cris Cyborg will defend her Bellator women's featherweight championship, and the blockbuster Bellator featherweight grand prix will resume this year."You will see Douglas Lima fight, you will see Cyborg fight, and you will see AJ McKee fight," Coker said."The AJ McKee fight with Darrion Caldwell is the fight we're going to continue on with the featherweight tournament — that will happen this year, for sure."<h2>Bellator is breaking new ground in Paris</h2><div type="image" title="Bellator Paris" height="675" width="1200" msid="78066134" hostid="261"></div>Bellator announced Friday that it will head to the Accor Arena in Paris, France for a October 10 event, with fans.The main event will be contested between hometown hero Cheick Kongo and middleweight rival Timothy Johnson, supported by a welterweight bout involving Michael 'Venom' Page and Ross Houston.In a statement, Coker called it "a monumental moment in the history of the sport [to] promote the very first MMA event in France by a major promotion."Most of the competitions on the card will be fought using mixed martial arts rules while three other bouts will be boxing rules.This is something Coker has often dreamed of.Insider spoke to the South Korea-born American businessman last month, and asked whether his partnership with Showtime Boxing and the broadcaster's president Stephen Espinoza could yield a multi-discipline event involving mixed martial arts matches and boxing fights."That would be beautiful, honestly," Coker told us."If you watch some of our fights in Europe, we have a kickboxing show and MMA show on the same night [in Italy]. The ring collapses and we bring the cage down from the rafters."It's a 10 or 15 minute transition from having the ring there and then the cage set up. But I would love that, and I've always thought that's a great idea."As a fan, I love boxing, kickboxing, MMA … all combat sports. For a fan coming in to see boxing, the sweet science, and MMA, on the same night — that would be amazing."Stephen [Espinoza] and I have talked about it. Like you said, Stephen and I go back. And I'll tell you a quick story … I first met Stephen when I was trying to sign Mike Tyson for K-1 [kickboxing] in 2001 to fight Bob Sapp, a big football player who was popular."I've known Stephen for 20 years," he said. "Bellator's doing its own thing but together I think we could do some cool fights, fun events, which I love to do, thinking outside the box."The Paris event is, perhaps, evidence of Coker's thinking outside the box.<h2>But France will be one of many Bellator ventures into Europe</h2><div type="image" title="James Gallagher" height="600" width="1200" msid="78066136" hostid="261"></div>Next month's show in Paris will have added significance because a limited number of fans will be allowed to attend, with tickets going on sale Tuesday.Coker is planning on overseeing multiple events in major European cities, including London and Dublin."I tell you what I love about the European Series most. When we went to London, of course they already have fights there, and in Dublin, people do MMA there."There are some places … Italy, nobody knew what MMA was. It's a kickboxing country. We went in there and did half kickboxing, half MMA, and fans are starting to gravitate toward MMA as well."And now it has it's own identity. We started it from scratch. There was one fighter Alessio Sakara who was fighting at the time, but to have a country which didn't have any MMA, now we're doing several fights a year in Italy. Fighters are breaking through, gyms are expanding … we've started a movement inside a country, and I'm proud of that."We want to help build local MMA scenes. Israel never had an MMA event there but we went in there, and I heard now there's 20 gyms inside Tel-Aviv alone. This is growth of the sport."On the next steps for its European Series specifically, Coker said: "We're moving into Europe in October to recreate what we had done years."He said there are approximately 100 contracted fighters from Europe, "Many from London, Dublin, Western Europe, and we'll keep [Conor McGregor's Straight Blast Gym-mate and featherweight hotshot] James Gallagher, and those guys busy."If we can't get them over here, we'll have them fight over there."Bellator MMA has back-to-back events this weekend starting with Bellator 245 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville on September 11, ahead of Bellator 246 in the same venue September 12.Select bouts include:<ul><li>September 11: Phil Davis vs. Lyota Machida — light heavyweight</li><li>September 11: Cat Zingano vs. Gabby Holloway — women's featherweight</li><li>September 12: Juan Archuleta vs. Patchy Mix — bantamweight</li><li>September 12: Jon Fitch vs. Neiman Gracie — welterweight</li></ul>Bellator Dublin is booked for October 3 ahead of the landmark Paris event the following week.Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/bellator-243-preview-how-fighters-stay-in-an-mma-bubble-2020-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bellator boss Scott Coker has 'a little army' to ensure his young fighters don't run off and burst the company's coronavirus bubble</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/dana-white-signed-mma-novice-he-was-like-mike-tyson-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dana White signed a raw MMA novice because he reminded him of a young Mike Tyson and 'scared the s---' out of the UFC boss</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/khabib-nurmagomedov-conor-mcgregor-offers-nothing-as-a-competitor-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Khabib Nurmagomedov says Conor McGregor offers nothing as a competitor, and is no longer interested in a rematch</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/mike-tyson-cried-in-pain-after-training-for-boxing-video-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Tyson said he was in so much physical pain he cried for a week in bed after training for a boxing video this year</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/video-mma-fighter-disqualified-for-a-soccer-kick-to-head-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">An MMA fighter was disqualified from a match when he hit his opponent with an illegal soccer kick to the head</a>

You Searched For "vadim nemkov" and got 5 results

Bellator MMA is booking one of its greatest cards of all time with an incredible April 15 offering

Alan Dawson

Vadim Nemkov is the Bellator MMA light heavyweight tournament favorite, according to Scott Coker, but the most anticipated bout will be in the first round

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Bellator MMA crowned a new champion when Vadim Nemkov dropped Ryan Bader with a head kick, then threw 60 unanswered strikes

Alan Dawson

Bellator MMA is using Fedor Emelianenko's wild popularity to break further ground in its European strongholds

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AJ McKee, Cris Cyborg, and Douglas Lima will all fight in Bellator MMA in 2020, CEO Scott Coker says

Alan Dawson