“Vadim needs to move to the UFC,” said Gadzhiev, talking to journalists at an event in Moscow. “I understand that it is difficult legally, and so on, but as soon as he starts fighting in the UFC, there will be a lot of interest in him. He has already proved everything to everyone, and in Bellator he is marking time. I am sure that he has such a contract that it is impossible to switch now, but I said this two years ago, and someone was even offended by it. They were upset that I was saying this, but I told the truth. I then said that they are so cool that they should fight in the UFC, and not that the Bellator belt is worth nothing. Yes, it’s cool, but the UFC belt is five times cooler, and Vadim can win it, really. Then a thousand people will meet him.”
Gadzhiev also commented on Nemkov’s statement that if he moves to the UFC, he expects to receive a million dollars for the fight.
“No one will give you that much. You can ask as much as you want, but it’s more a question of heritage. Legacy Bellator champion won’t win. He will gain respect, recognition, earn money, but this is not a legacy. It’s just cool, and the UFC champion is forever for everyone. For example, Pavlovich – Jones, this is a different level, right? This is a fight for the title of the strongest man in the world, at least in your weight. And Bellator is a fight for the belt of a cool organization, nothing more. PFL, and ONE FC, and ACA, and Fight Nights, and RCC can consider themselves as such. But there is the UFC, and there are all the others.
On June 16 at Bellator 297 in Chicago, Vadim Nemkov defeated Cuban Yoel Romero by unanimous decision in five rounds, and in November last year, the Russian became the winner of the Bellator light heavyweight Grand Prix, in which he defended his championship belt three times and won a million dollars.