Anderson Unbeaten in Bellator
If Vadim Nemkov is to score an upset win at Bellator 288, he’ll need to beat the 3-0 Corey Anderson in a repeat of their Bellator 277 no-contest.
The first fight ended with an accidental clash of heads, but Anderson looked good and that’s why MMA odds have him at -235 to win.
The UFC veteran hasn’t lost in Bellator, so he’s a fighter on the rise.
Stay tuned as we’ll be covering the most important UFC fight card and we’ll also be sharing our UFC predictions for the upcoming tournaments.
Nemkov Riding Nine-Fight Win Streak
The 30-year-old Russian is the current light heavyweight champion after winning nine consecutive fights and he’s not getting much respect from the sportsbook.
He is the +185 underdog against Anderson despite beating the likes of Ryan Bader and Rafael Carvalho with finishes.
He’s a knockout and submission threat, so Anderson will have to be good to beat him. However, he was five seconds away from losing to Anderson in the first meeting and that is playing its part with the odds.
Nemkov was being hammered with elbows before the clash of heads ended the fight with five seconds to go in the third round. It was a fortunate no-contest for Nemkov, who holds onto his title for the meantime.
“A fight of this caliber with so much on the line, so much money on the line, shouldn’t be decided by head butts. I think it would have been unfair if I lost the fight on head butts,” Nemkov told Fight Sports.
Nemkov needs to change his strategy to beat Anderson and it should include more wrestling.
Anderson’s Record Stands Out
Anderson has five losses on his record, but his most recent one came in 2020 to Jan Blachowicz. Prior to that, he lost to Ovince St. Preux.
It takes an excellent fighter to beat Anderson, who racked up wins against Glover Teixeira, Blachowicz, and Fabio Maldonado in the UFC.
Since arriving in Bellator, he has made short work of three opponents, including a 51-second knockout win over Ryan Bader at Bellator 268. It was enough to give the betting online favorite a shot at the title, and barring any headbutts, he has a good chance to take advantage of his opportunity.
Anderson was the one who alerted the referee about the head butt, so he’s an honest fighter and we think that will pay dividends. Anderson is confident and he deserves to be the favorite in the rematch after dominating most of the first meeting.
Nemkov vs Anderson Head-to-Head
It’s the second meeting between Nemkov and Anderson, with the first being a no-contest after an accidental clash of heads with five seconds left.
Anderson won the first round and Nemkov won the second before Anderson piled on the pressure in the third to seemingly be on the track to win the title.
Nemkov vs Anderson Fight Information
- Fight: Nemkov (14-2) vs Anderson (16-5)
- Location: Wintrust Arena, Chicago, IL
- Day/Time: Friday, Nov. 18, 9 p.m. ET
- Nemkov vs Anderson Live Stream: Bellator Live
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Nemkov vs Anderson Betting Lines
Nemkov vs Anderson Prediction
It should be another close fight but we’re taking Anderson at -235.
He should have won the first meeting and he should be the one defending his Bellator title on Friday. However, he gets another chance and he shouldn’t let bettors down.
Anderson is listed at -235 in our Vegas lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Anderson, you have a chance to win $43. Nemkov is +185, offering a chance to win $185 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Anderson a 70.15% chance to win, with Nemkov at 35.09%. Be sure to check all the UFC fight night odds for Nemkov vs Anderson.
