The UFC simply missed their chance to sign a red -hot free agent.
In recent years, the most important MMA promotion in the world has often been criticized because of the depth of its heavyweight division, or the lack of it. With Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic retired and Francis Ngannou disappeared for a long time, there are not many names that jump off the page than the undisputed champion Tom Aspinall.
The Professional Fighters League is also not absent for criticism, because 'large' John McCarthy recently advised the PFL to reduce the heavyweight division, because Ngannou 'does nothing' for the promotion.
McCarthy said there were a few solid heavyweights on the PFL schedule, namely Vadim Nemkov, who left the promotion after beating former UFC and Bellator Heavyweight Tim Johnson in January.
Some fans believed that the next stop of Nemkov would be the big show in UFC, but it seems that the former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion is nowhere.
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty images
Vadim Nemkov signs again with PFL, UFC can only get it in 2028
On Wednesday, founder Donn Davis wrote on X that the PFL Vadim Nemkov has again signed for a multi -year promotion contract.
The new PFL deal from Nemkov expires at the end of 2027, which means that it is unable to negotiate with the UFC or other rival promotions until 2028.
What does Nemkov mean back for the PFL? Two words. Francis Ngannou.
Davis included the former UFC champion heavyweight as one of the three potential opponents for the return of Nemkov, together with 6'8 ″ Renan Ferreira, recently heavyweight tournament winner Oleg Popov and a mysterious new signing that still has to be announced.
Davis claimed that Nemkov is a consensus top 10 heavyweight and it is difficult to deny, given his CV (see below).
Nemkov is a very well-completed hunter with an excellent Takedown defense and brutal legs, with which he has finished former Bellator champion Liam McGeary. The last two PFL fights from Nemkov ended by entry.
Nemkov will be 35 years old when his newly signed PFL contract ends.
Vadim Nemkov has a pretty stellair CV outside UFC
Nemkov is by far one of the most underrated hunters on the planet.
Although he still has to step on the Octagon, the Fedor Emelianenko Protegé has defeated a whole series of former top UFC opportunities such as Yoel Romero, Corey Anderson, Ryan Bader and Phil Davis (twice).
At the age of 33, Nemkov defeated six former world champions in his career. The Russian had four successful title defenses in Bellator and did not lose there in his ten fights there.
Most battles from Nemkov are heavy, but so far he doesn't look at heavyweight.
The professional record of Nemkov is 19-2, with one of those losses that are coming for the former UFC champion and #2-ranged slightly heavyweight competition Jiri Prochazka, ten years ago.
However, it was not a normal TKO loss, because the first Rizin round lasted ten minutes instead of the standard five that you see in UFC. Nemkov lost due to retirement.
In a few years from now on, who knows whether the UFC wants to pick up Vadim Nemkov. UFC CEO Dana White did not seem so interested in signing Nemkov when he was a free agent months ago, which confirmed at a UFC press conference that his team had not discussed Nemkov at that time.