One of the biggest nights in Bellator's brief history will have two big title fights. One features a dominant champion, while the challenger of another fight will look to become a three-division king.
Bellator 297 is inside the Wintrust Arena in Chicago on June 16. The main event will be Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero for the Bellator light heavyweight title and airs on Showtime in the U.S..
A four-time gold medalist in the Sambo World Championships, Nemkov has dominated the competition while with Bellator. He beat Ryan Bader to win the light heavyweight title in 2021 and has defended the belt three times. The Russian's team includes the legendary Fedor Emelianenko, who retired this year.
"I want to continue Fedor's legacy because we are both from Stary Oskol," Nemkov said. "I want to continue his legacy and the success of his students. Hopefully, I will continue to be a good student and remain champion."
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A 2000 Olympic gold medalist, Romero turned pro in 2009. The "Soldier of God" joined the UFC in 2013 and went 9-3 with the promotion. Signing with Bellator in 2020, failed medicals delayed his promotional debut until 2021. The 46-year-old beat Alex Polizzi and Melvin Manhoef in 2022 to secure a title shot.
"It's a very important fight. To be the Bellator champion would be a new beginning for my career," Romero said. "But I'm not focused on the title; the most important thing is to win the fight."
While the fight is the main event, the co-main event is considered the People's Main Event. A Bellator legend looks to enhance his legacy on the big stage. Here is a look into the entire main card of Bellator 297.
Bellator 297 undercard
Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Freire
- Division/Weight: Bantamweight
- Pettis record: 22-5
- Freire record: 35-5
- Belts at stake: Bellator bantamweight title
History is on the line in the co-main event as Sergio Pettis defends the Bellator bantamweight title against Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Freire. The brother of Anthony Pettis, Sergio (22-5) turned pro in 2011. He joined the UFC in 2013, going 8-4. Joining Bellator in 2020, he is 4-0 with the promotion, beating Juan Archuleta in May 2021 for the bantamweight title. His last bout was a knockout win against Kyoji Horiguchi in December 2021.
Pettis was supposed to compete in the Bellator Bantamweight Grand Prix but had to back out due to an injury that required surgery.
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Freire (35-5) made his pro debut in 2004. Joining Bellator in 2010, "Pitbull" is a two-time featherweight and one-time lightweight champion. Owner of the most wins in Bellator history, Freire has beaten the likes of Daniel Straus, Henry Corrales, Emmanuel Sanchez, Michael Chandler, Juan Archuleta, and A.J. McKee. He is on a three-fight win streak, beating Kleber Koike Erbst in December in a Bellator vs. RIZIN card.
Freire can become the first three-division champion in MMA history with a win. He may be interested in a fourth title when all is said and done.
"I don't like to be comfortable," Freire said during media day. "I always like to move forward, to embrace challenges. I don't think about [my legacy and the history I stand to make]. I'm not worried about what people are going to say about me — I have a fighter that is very good and technical in front of me in Sergio Pettis. My main focus is to become the 135-pound champion, and then we'll see where to go from there."
Corey Anderson vs. Phil Davis
- Division/Weight: Light Heavyweight
- Anderson record: 16-6, one no-contest
- Davis record: 24-6, one no-contest
- Belts at stake: N/A
A light heavyweight fight with plenty of stakes is also on the card, featuring Corey Anderson and Phil Davis.
An All-American wrestler, Anderson (16-6, one no-contest) turned pro in 2013. He competed on and won The Ultimate Fighter 19 light heavyweight tournament in 2014 via TKO to sure his spot with the UFC. "Overtime" went 10-4 with the promotion but never received a title shot. Getting viciously knocked out by Jan Blachowicz in 2020, Anderson was granted his release from his UFC contract and signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator.
Anderson is 3-1 with one no-contest in Bellator, beating Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov and Ryan Bader in the opening rounds of the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix. In the finals, in April 2022, his fight with Vadim Nemkov turned into a no-contest following a clash of heads. The rematch at Bellator 288 in November saw Anderson lose via unanimous decision.
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Davis (24-6, one no-contest) is a 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships gold medalist and a two-time Big Ten Championships gold medalist. "Mr. Wonderful" turned pro in 2008 and joined the UFC in 2010, going 9-3 with one no-contest for the promotion. Signing with Bellator in 2015, Davis is 11-3 with Bellator and won the light heavyweight title in 2016.
Competing in the Light Heavyweight Grand Prix, Davis lost against Nemkov, the light heavyweight champion. He has since won two in a row, beating Romero and Julius Anglickas.
Daniel James vs. Gokhan Saricam
- Division/Weight: Heavyweight
- James record: 15-6-1
- Saricam record: 8-2
- Belts at stake: N/A
In heavyweight action, the active Daniel James faces Gokhan Saricam. James (15-6-1) competes in MMA while also working as a bodyguard for rapper Twista. He turned pro in 2014, beating Erick Correa at Bellator 112 and wouldn't return to Bellator until 2022. Competing in promotions like Victory FC, LFA, and Absolute Championship Akhmat, James is 2-0 in his return to Bellator, and is on a five-fight win streak.
"The American Predator," ranked fourth in the Bellator heavyweight rankings, last fought in March, beating Marcelo Golm via knockout.
Saricam (8-2) turned pro in 2014. The Turkish fighter joined Bellator in 2019 and is 4-2 with the promotion. His last bout was a unanimous decision loss against Oleg Popov in February.
When is Bellator 297: Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero?
- Date: Friday, June 16 | Saturday, June 17
- Prelims: 6 p.m. ET | 3 p.m. PT | 11 p.m. BST | 8 a.m. AEST
- Main card: 9 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. PT | 2 p.m. BST | 11 a.m. AEST
- Main event: 12:15 a.m. ET | 9:15 p.m. PT | 5:15 p.m. BST | 2:15 p.m. AEST (approx.)
Bellator 297 takes place on June 16. The prelims start at 6 p.m. ET | 3 p.m. PT | 11 p.m. BST | 8 a.m. AEST with the main card at 9 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. PT | 2 p.m. BST | 11 a.m. AEST. Nemkov and Romero should make their way to the cage around 12:15 a.m. ET | 9:15 p.m. PT | 5:15 p.m. BST | 2:15 p.m. AEST, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
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How to watch Bellator 297: Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero
| Region | TV channel | Live streaming |
| USA | Showtime | YouTube, Fubo |
| Canada | Bellator.com | |
| UK and Ireland | BBC iPlayer, Virgin Media | |
| Australia | 10 Play |
In the U.S., you can watch Bellator 297 on Showtime, with the prelims on Bellator's YouTube channel. It is also available to stream on Fubo, which includes a free trial.
In the U.K., the event will be available on BBC iPlayer. In Australia, you can watch on 10 Play.
YouTube will no longer host Bellator events in Canada. To watch, fight fans must tune into Bellator.com. A 7-day pass to watch Bellator MMA events (and full card replay) will cost $19.50 CAD.