MMA rankings report: In comes new Bellator champ Vadim Nemkov from out of nowhere
When it comes to the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, it’s uncommon for a fighter to go from unranked straight into the top five. And yet, that’s the case this week with Vadim Nemkov.
Nemkov, previously left out at light heavyweight, defeated Ryan Bader this past Friday at Bellator 244 to become the 205-pound champion, and he didn’t just win. He steamrolled his way with a vicious second-round TKO to become the first Russian to claim an MMA organization’s light heavyweight belt.
Where does that put him in the division, according to our latest rankings? All the way at No. 4.
Nemkov isn’t the only one to make major moves coming out of the weekend as Frankie Edgar was successful in his bantamweight debut, earning a split decision win over Pedro Munhoz this past Saturday at UFC on ESPN 15.
Edgar, the former lightweight champion and featherweight contender, now finds himself squarely among the elite at 135 pounds, grabbing the No. 5 spot in our rankings.
What went into these drastic moves? Watch the video above as MMA Junkie rankings chair “Gorgeous” George Garcia explains them with John Morgan in this week’s edition of the rankings report.