Bellator 244: “Bader vs. Nemkov ”arrives at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., Morning (Friday, August 21, 2020), streaming on DAZN (see it) and is broadcast on Paramount Network. It is the first Bellator MMA card since the global pandemic hit the United States to become a title defense.
Let’s break it down:
205 lbs .: Ryan Bader (27-5, 1 NC) vs. Vadim Nemkov (11-2)
Ryan “Darth” Bader has not lost a fight in eight straight turns (including one without a match). That’s pretty impressive. Vadim Nemkov is not lost in six straight bolts (including all four in Bellator). That’s just as impressive. Even before the pandemic, the two turned out to be destinations to crash into the cage. With his submission of the second round by former middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho, Nemkov was clearly on the table to make a face up to date champion in his next fight. After an unfortunate accident in his last Heavyweight race, Bader undoubtedly saw a return to his most dominant weight class.
How did the ‘champion-champion’ and his challenger fare? Bader stands 6’2 “with a 74-inch range, while Nemkov is 6’0” with an estimated 75.5-inch range, making Fedor Emelianenko’s protégé a fighter who can easily close the gap at higher, longer standing opponents. He also completed 91 percent of his wins (eight knockouts, two submissions), so there is no doubt about his killer instinct. His only losses so far are a split decision and a technical knockout against recent UFC sensation Jiri Prochazka, so there is no shame in his game, especially considering how much he has improved over the last five years.
Bader has one quality that none of his opponents have other than Phil Davis, and the fact that he has beaten Davis every time they have met suggests even that he has an advantage – his exceptional wrestling skills. He was a three-time PAC-10 champion and two-time All-American, and as a champion in two weight classes, it is hard to argue that one has translated a wrestling background to MMA better save maybe for Henry Cejudo or Daniel Cormier. His 12 knockouts make him a difficult chess match to win. If you try to stop the takedowns and keep it standing, you are in danger, and if he gets the takedown, you are screwed. It’s very difficult to defeat Bader unless you first land a cleaner harder shot.
Final prediction: Ryan Bader through unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Julia Budd (13-3) vs. Jessy Miele (9-3)
It’s been a long way back for “The Jewel” Julia Budd since a one-sided loss to Cris Cyborg, her first defeat in nearly half a decade. The intrigues of the former champion in response to that loss are palpable, as is “The Widowmaker” Jessy Miele’s desire to play spoiler on Budd’s path to redemption. She defeated Talita Nogueira via split decision for her fourth win in a row in her Bellator debut and would love to do it again here. She also hails from Waterbury, Conn., Which under various circumstances would make her the downtown favorite for a rousing audience. Ah well … what are you going to do?
You’ll have a screw in the Bellator cage, that’s something. Miele completed 66 percent of their wins (two knockouts, four submissions), while Budd completed 54 percent of them (six knockouts, one submission). It’s not surprising that Budd rarely goes for jiu-jitsu given her kickboxing background, and being 5’8 ”with a 70-inch range makes her a very dangerous fighter at Featherweight. Miele stands 5’7 “with a 69-inch range, though Budd has none enormous advantage in this fight. What she has is a decade of dominance that all top women have available to her in and out of Bellator. In short, Miele has an enormous mountain to climb here.
Final prediction: Julia Budd via knockout of second round
265 lbs .: Roy Nelson (23-19) vs. Valentin Moldavsky (9-1)
We all love “Big Country” Roy Nelson. Okay, some of us like Roy Nelson. Wait, that’s an exaggeration – a stikmannich people like Nelson. His stellar power has significantly disappeared with losses in four straight Bellator fights, and dating back to 2013 he is 4-11 over his last 15 turns. That is “no bueno. “After we did the interesting rematches they were able to do with Nelson in the promotion, we’ve now left to feed him for the upcoming Heavyweight start. Over the same four fighting teams, Moldavsky is 4-0 in Bellator with dominant wins over Linton Vassell and Javy Ayala. If you can not see the writing on the wall, put some glass on it.
Final prediction: Valentin Moldavsky via submission of first round
185 lbs .: John Salter (17-4) vs. Andrew Kapel (15-6)
After winning nine of his last ten fights back in 2013, with his only loss coming from submission to eventual (and short) middleweight champion Rafael Lovato Jr., John Salter is hardly contested under Bellator’s 185-pound division. . However, Andrew Kapel is a sleeper as he has won seven of eight dating back to 2015, including his last five in a row, punctuated by excluding King Mo in Lawal’s retirement battle. However, he is better known for innings than attacks, and gets 66 percent of his winnings (10 out of 15) through his jiu-jitsu game. But far from Salter presenting a problem to Salter, that fighting style would play directly into his hands. He may not have been able to invent Lovato, but short of a world champion BJJ gold medal, there is no fighter at 185 pounds who can give Salter fit. If Kapel wants to play human chess, Salter will check him out before he controls.
Final prediction: John Salter via second round back naked choke
That’s a wrap!
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