4. Vadim Nemkov
Nemkov is a perfect 8-0 in Bellator with one no contest and in terms of strength of schedule, no one else even comes close, including those above him in these rankings. Fully half of those victories have come against men considered top 5 light heavyweights—not merely in Bellator, but the world, UFC included. Let's start from the beginning. Nemkov entered Bellator at 25, already an excellent wrestler with good striking, very good defense, and as befits a protégé of Fedor Emelianenko, some of the best ground-and-pound in the entire sport. Over the course of the next five-plus years, he would improve in every area, especially his striking. He began by starching future Professional Fighters League heavyweight champion and current UFC fighter Philipe Lins with punches in about three minutes and stopping former light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary with bone-crushing kicks in the third. When he fought Phil Davis, then seen as a Top 5 light heavyweight, in late 2018, few gave the largely unheralded Russian a chance. Nemkov's abilities were tested to the limit by the outstanding Davis, but he walked away with the shocking split decision. Proving it was no fluke, Nemkov demolished another former champion, Rafael Carvalho, with a second-round choke, before capturing the light heavyweight crown with a sensational second-round knockout of Ryan Bader, then a champ-champ at 205 pounds and heavyweight, as well as another Top 5 light heavyweight. Nemkov had a rematch with Davis, but the new champion had improved a lot over just the previous 18 months. Nemkov dominated Davis for the first 15 minutes before fatiguing and losing the final two rounds. Nevertheless, it was a clear unanimous decision against yet another elite light heavyweight. After finishing a tough challenger in Julius Anglickas with a fourth round submission, showing his better cardio and energy management, Nemkov looked to have met his match against the phenomenal Corey Anderson. One of the greatest wrestlers in MMA history, who set a UFC record for takedowns against a former Olympic wrestler of all people, Anderson managed to puncture Nemkov's seemingly iron-clad takedown defense and was up 2 rounds to 1 when the fight was stopped due to a cut. Nemkov was a significant underdog for their rematch in November 2022, one that would determine the world's best light heavyweight. Nemkov again shocked everyone when he showed significant improvement in the span of just 7 months, neutralizing Anderson's wrestling and arguably winning every round en route to an emphatic decision victory. Nemkov is scheduled to fight yet another elite contender with a storied UFC career in Yoel Romero in his next outing, and at 30 years old and in his prime, has a huge opportunity to move up the list, perhaps even challenging for the top spot.
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