WINTRUST ARENA-CHICAGO, ILLINIOS-Bellator MMA kicks off the summer with a massive event going down tonight. Bellator 297 features a four-fight main card that will be capped off with two world title fights. In the co-main event, Bellator Bantamweight Champion Sergio Pettis returns after an 18-month layoff due to an ACL injury as he welcomes Bellator’s pound-for-pound G.O.A.T. Patrício Pitbull. Pitbull, who currently reigns as the Bellator Featherweight World Champion, drops down to the 135-lb. division for the first time in his career.
In the main event, the Bellator light heavyweight title is on the line as “The Soldier of God” Yoel Romero looks to challenge for championship gold against Team Fedor’s 205-lb. champion Vadim Nemkov.
Romero Pushes for Gold One Last Time, Bantamweight Superfight Lies Ahead at Bellator 297
Who will be crowned the best in the world? 👀@YoelRomeroMMA looks to dethrone light-heavyweight king Vadim Nemkov in an epic Chicago main event THIS FRIDAY 🔥#Bellator297 LIVE FRI 16:
🇺🇸 @SHOsports at 9pm ET/6PM PT
🌍 Find out how to watch ▶️ https://t.co/jPjMHzLhCd pic.twitter.com/ETVFNo0rWv— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) June 15, 2023
At 46 years old, the road is all but behind Yoel Romero. “The Soldier of God” started his illustrious career in combat sports in 1997 at the World Wrestling Championships. The Cuban wrestler would go on to become a highly decorated champion and eventually transition to MMA. Romero would debut in Strikeforce in 2011 and subsequently to the UFC in 2013. Romero would challenge for UFC gold three times in his time with the MMA giant, but failed to capture the throne on all three occasions.
Romero would debut to Bellator at Bellator 266 in a losing effort, losing four fights in a row. Despite this, Romero would return to score two dominant finishes over Alex Polizzi and Melvin Manhoef to earn himself one more shot at MMA gold.
As for Vadim Nemkov, the Sambo-style athlete has also seen success on the world stage. A four time gold medal winner at the Sambo World Championships, Nemkov made his MMA debut in 2013. After losing two fights early in his career, the 30-year-old Russian is on a 11-fight unbeaten streak. Since capturing the light heavyweight title at Bellator 244, Nemkov has defeated Phil Davis, Julius Anglickas, and Corey Anderson.
A Battle of Legacies for the 135-lb. Title
𝗔 𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗔𝗖𝗬 𝗗𝗘𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗚𝗢 👊
Bantamweight champ @SergioPettis and #P4P king @PatricioPitbull collide 𝙋𝙇𝙐𝙎 Vadim Nemkov vs. @YoelRomeroMMA for the light-heavyweight gold 👑#Bellator297 | Friday, 9pm ET/6pm PT | @SHOsports pic.twitter.com/PvFsqn2mVK
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) June 10, 2023
In one of the most anticipated fights of the year, Bellator pound-for-pound G.O.A.T. Patrício Pitbull looks to notch his 36th career victory and third world title over three weight divisions as he competes in the bantamweight division for the first time in his career. His opposition, Sergio Pettis, last competed at Bellator 272 where he earned the Knockout of the Year accolade across all major MMA publications for his spectacular comeback finish over Kyoji Horiguchi. Pettis has his hands full in his return to in-cage competition, after suffering an injury that sidelined the bantamweight champion for 18 months.
For Pitbull, a win in this fight not only secures his legacy as Bellator’s greatest champion, but as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. For Pettis, a win not only cements his throne at 135-lb., but also proves that his name belongs amongst the most elite combatants across the globe.
The Rest of the Card
“Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis is set to do battle with Illinois native Corey Anderson in the most highly skilled matchup the light heavyweight division has to offer outside of the main event action. To open the main card, “The American Predator” Daniel James meets Gokhan Saricam in a hard hitting matchup of top-10 ranked heavyweights.
Bellator 297 will feature 12 preliminary fights.
Bellator 297 Results
Main Card (SHOWTIME-9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)
Vadim Nemkov defeats Yoel Romero via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46,49-46) to retain the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship
Sergio Pettis defeats Patrício Pitbull via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45) to retain the Bellator Bantamweight World Championship
Corey Anderson defeats Phil Davis via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Gokhan Saricam defeats Daniel James via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Preliminary Card (MMASucka.com-6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT)
Gadzhi Rabadanov defeats Pieter Buist via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Ramazan Kuramagomedov defeats Jaleel Willis via Knockout (Knee to Strikes) at 1:24 of Round 1
Norbert Novenyi Jr. defeats Kamil Oniszczuk via Knockout (Punch) at :46 of Round 1
Archie Colgan defeats Emmanuel Sanchez via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Jordan Newman defeats Matthew Perry via Submission (Americana) at 4:20 of Round 1
Cody Law defeats Edwin Chavez via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
