The PFL announced Friday that Bellator light heavyweight champion Corey Anderson is making the move up to heavyweight to fight Vadim Nemkov in a trilogy bout at the promotion's Road to Dubai Champions Series event on Jan. 25 at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Nemkov was initially scheduled to fight Ante Delija next month, but the Croatian fighter was forced to withdraw due to undisclosed reasons.
The pair first squared off against one another in the final of the 2022 Grand Prix, but the bout was ruled a no-contest following a clash of heads in the third round. Nemkov successfully defended the light heavyweight title in a rematch at Bellator 288 in November 2022 against Anderson, winning via unanimous decision.
Nemkov (17-2, 1 NC) has been the stalwart of the light heavyweight division. After scoring a victory in his rematch with Anderson, the Russian fighter notched a decision win over Yoel Romero at Bellator 297 in June 2023. The protege of MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko made his heavyweight debut earlier this year, submitting Bruno Cappelozza in the second round of the Champions vs. Champions card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in February.
Anderson (18-6, 1 NC) has found his groove since the loss to his rival. He notched a split-decision victory over Phil Davis in 2023 and captured the vacant light heavyweight title with a unanimous decision win over Karl Moore at the Bellator Champions Series in Belfast this past March.
The PFL's Road to Dubai event is set to be headlined by Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov defending his title against Paul Hughes.
