Bellator 268 results: Vadim Nemkov retains title with submission of Julius Anglickas

The light heavyweight champion Nemkov survived an early scare before putting Anglickas in a kimura to score a fourth-round submission.

Vadim Nemkov in a file photo, Image credit: Twitter/Bellator
By Amruth Kalidas | Oct 17, 2021 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Vadim Nemkov (15-2) survived being dropped in the opening round and went on to dominate the rest of the way in a thorough fourth-round submission of tournament alternate Julius Anglickas (10-2) in the main event of Bellator 268 inside Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Anglickas filled in for former UFC title challenger Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, who withdrew from the tournament last month due to an undisclosed illness.

NEMKOV AND ANDERSON SET FOR THE FINAL

A native of Russia, Nemkov made the second defense of the 205-pound title he won by stopping Ryan Bader in 2020, who needed just 51 seconds to stop Bader in their semifinal bout.

Anglickas, a 30-year-old native of Lithuania, landed a perfect counter right hand in Round 1 to briefly drop the champion to a knee. But Nemkov, 29, immediately bought time to shake off the cobwebs by scoring a takedown and went on to use his wrestling to dominate his foe.

“He caught me but I wasn’t knocked down, I just kind of fell,” Nemkov said through a translator. “The reason I went more to grappling was that he has a hard head and I realized it wasn’t going to happen so I started to work submissions.”

Nemkov was cut above his left eye by an accidental head butt early in Round 2. All that did, however, was drip from above all over the face of Anglickas after an easy takedown. Nemkov closed the round by mauling Anglickas from above with short elbows, which opened up a cut on his left eye.

The third round saw Nemkov actively seek a submission following an early takedown. He patiently alternated from arm bar to kimura and back again before finally getting enough leverage in Round 4 to produce a tap out via kimura.

Referee Mike Beltran leaped in at 4:24 of Round 4 to rescue the bloodied and battered Anglickas.

“I tried for a few armbars and he was kind of slipping and ended up on top of me,” Nemkov said. “I tried to change it to a kimura and it worked.”

Nemkov improved his win streak to nine overall dating back to 2016. Anglickas, meanwhile, suffered his first defeat since his second pro bout and snapped a three-fight win streak since joining Bellator.