Nemkov pummels Romero to keep Bellator light heavyweight belt

Yoel Romero had no answers for Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov.

Nemkov dominated Romero via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) to retain his title for the fourth time in the Bellator 297 main event Friday night in Chicago.

Nemkov beat Romero up with a repeated barrage of strikes in all five rounds. The Russian routinely found a home with heavy jabs and leg kicks, leaving Romero standing up against the fence and unable to get off much of his own offense.

Though Romero took a lot of damage - his eye badly swelled up around the midway point of the bout - the former UFC title challenger's chin held up well. In true Romero fashion, he began taunting Nemkov by dancing and sticking out his tongue in the third round.

"He has a very strong head," Nemkov said through an interpreter in his postfight interview. "It's tough to knock him out."

Romero seemingly won the fifth round by getting on top of Nemkov late and landing shots on the ground. But Nemkov held on and didn't appear to take much damage.

With the victory, Nemkov is riding a 12-fight unbeaten streak and is 9-0 (1 NC) under the Bellator banner. The 30-year-old won the title in August 2020 by finishing Ryan Bader and has defended it against the likes of Phil Davis, Corey Anderson, and now Romero. Nemkov won the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix in 2022.

Romero, 46, fell to 2-2 in Bellator - and perhaps looked his age for the first time ever - after coming up short in his first bid for the promotion's 205-pound belt.

"The Solider of God" debuted with the company in 2021 following a lengthy stint as a contender in the UFC. Romero challenged for the UFC undisputed middleweight title once, falling short against Israel Adesanya in March 2020.