A heavyweight showdown between Vadim Nemkov and Ante Delija will wait on because the co-main match of the inaugural card of PFL’s Champions Series Dubai present on Jan. 25 in the United Arab Emirates, the firm announced Friday.
The lineup shall be topped by a beforehand announced Bellator lightweight title fight between champion Usman Nurmagomedov and rising challenger Paul Hughes.
Nemkov (18-2, 1 no contest) is a ragged Bellator mild heavyweight king who now competes in the heaviest of the divisions. In his debut fight at heavyweight for PFL, Nemkov tapped out Bruno Cappelozza in the second round.
Unbeaten since 2016 and ranked No. 11 on the MMA Combating rankings, the 32-year-ragged Russian expertise reigned at 205 kilos with Bellator victories over Ryan Bader, Phil Davis, Corey Anderson and Yoel Romero.
Delija (24-6) won the 2022 season of the PFL at heavyweight to say a $1 million prize with four wins that year, including a first-round knockout over Renan Ferreira. The Croatian fighter finest competed twice ever since, defeating Maurice Greene by capability of decision in 2023, and losing by knockout to Valentin Moldavsky earlier this year.