Light Heavyweight World Champion Vadim Nemkov Set To Defend Title Against ‘Rumble’ Johnson, While Ryan Bader Goes Toe-To-Toe With Corey Anderson Live on SHOWTIME^®ntawm 10 P.M. ET / 7 P.M. PT

LOS ANGELES– BELLATOR MMA’s massive second half of 2021 keeps rolling on Saturday, Lub kaum hli ntuj 16, when both of the high-profile semifinal matchups for the Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix take place at the Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. Light heavyweight kingpinVadim Nemkov (14-2) defends his world championship against No. 4 rankedAnthony “Rumble” Johnson (23-6), while current BELLATOR Heavyweight World ChampionRyan Bader (28-6) facesNo. 2-Nyob Ruaj NtsegTus tub rog thiab Anderson (15-5) nyob rau hauv lub co-ntsiab kev tshwm sim.

BELLATOR MMA: Lub teeb hnyav heev ntiaj teb Yawg Prix semifinals will be televised live on SHOWTIME at10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. The preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, Showtime kev ua kis las YouTube thiab pluto TV pib ntawm 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. Additional bouts and ticket information will be announced at a later date.

Team Fedor’s Vadim Nemkov looks to remain BELLATOR 205-pound champion on September 25, further cementing his status as the best light heavyweight fighter on the planet. Nyob rau hauv nws cov nag mus ua si, Nemkov went five hard rounds with former championPhil Davis, khwv tau ib qho kev txiav txim siab tsis muaj kev cia siab rau txoj kev mus xuas nws daim pib mus rau semifinals. Should Nemkov defend his belt again and move on to the grand prix final, between Davis—a wrestler by trade—and the power-punching “Rumble,” Nemkov will have showcased his full repertoire as a mixed martial artist in the tournament. Nemkov tau zoo tag nrho hauv Bellator mus rau qhov no, yeej txhua rau ntawm nws cov kev sib tw suav nrog peb khob thiab ib qho cuav.

“Rumble” Johnsonmade his BELLATOR MMA debut in the opening round of the grand prix, engaging in a back-and-forth affair with Jose Augusto before notching another signature “Rumble” knockout in the second round. Nrog lub yeej, the 37-year-old made it clear his time away from the sport has not slowed him down, and with wins over the likes of Glover Teixeira, Alexander Gustafsson, Phil Davis and current BELLATOR heavyweight champion Ryan Bader, “Rumble” remains one of the most imposing forces in the entire sport.

A winner in eight of his last ten bouts, Arizona State University’s “Darth” Bader will have a home game as he looks to keep the ball rolling when he steps into the BELLATOR cage for the ninth time, on the road to re-capturing the 205-pound belt he once held. Bader—despite his participation in the Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix—remains the BELLATOR Heavyweight Champion, a title he plans on unifying with the interim-champValentin Moldavksy following the conclusion of the 205-pound tournament. Bader’s storied career has earned him the moniker of a legend slayer, with wins over all-time greats likeFedor Emelianenko, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Rashad Evans, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

Corey Anderson has made an excellent impression since his arrival in BELLATOR, reeling off two dominant victories over the likes of veteranMelvin Manhoefand former ACA ChampionDovletdzhan Yagshimuradov, both ending via TKO. The Rockton, Mob. product came to the promotion boasting an already impressive resumé, previously triumphing over Johnny Walker, Glover Teixeira and Jan Błachowicz amongst others. Anderson’s fight with Bader, his third under the BELLATOR banner, will be his first with the promotion while fans are in attendance.

BELLATOR MMA fans who are new subscribers to the SHOWTIME streaming service can sign up now for a limited time offer which includes a 30-day free trial, followed by a discounted monthly subscription fee of $4.99/month for the next six months. Viewers can sign up atSHO.com/BellatorMMA. Subscribers will be delivered two premier BELLATOR MMA events per month throughout 2021 thiab tshaj, with all events scheduled to air live at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT anywhere the SHOWTIME service is available.

BELLATOR MMA: Lub Teeb Hnyav Hnyav Ntiaj Teb Grand Prix semifinalsMain Card:

SHOWTIME

10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT

Lub teeb hnyav heev ntiaj teb lub ntsiab lus tseem ceeb: C-Vadim Nemkov (14-2) vs. #4-Anthony “Rumble” Johnson(25-0)

Lub Teeb Hnyav Hnyav Ntiaj Teb Grand Prix semifinal bout: #1-Ryan Bader (28-6) vs. #2-Tus tub rog thiab Anderson (15-5)

Preliminary Card: 

Bellator mmA youtube channel | ShowTime Kev Ua Si YouTube channel | Pluto TV

7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT

*Daim npav yuav hloov pauv.

Thov mus saibBellator.com rau cov lus qhia ntxiv.

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