Bellator MMA returns to The Windy City with its blockbuster event, Bellator 297: Nemkov vs. Romero. The event will take place on Friday, June 16, 2023, at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago and will feature some of the top-ranked fighters in the world.
The main event will be headlined by the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion and No. 2-ranked pound-for-pound fighter Vadim Nemkov (16-2), who will defend his title against No. 3-ranked Yoel Romero (15-6). This matchup promises to be an epic showdown between two of the best light heavyweights in the world.
The co-main event will feature Bellator’s No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter and current Bellator Featherweight World Champion, Patricio “Pitbull” (35-5), as he moves down a weight class to challenge incumbent 135-pound champion and No. 8-ranked pound-for-pound athlete Sergio Pettis (22-5) in a Bellator “Super Fight” for bantamweight gold.
In addition to the main and co-main events, the event will feature a battle between the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked light heavyweights between Corey Anderson (16-6) and Phil Davis (24-6).
Bellator 297: Nemkov vs. Romero will also feature a main card matchup between #4-ranked Daniel James (15-6-1) and #10-ranked Gokhan Saricam (8-2) in the heavyweight division. The Chicago native James will make a quick turnaround to fight in front of his hometown fans again after a main event knockout over Brazil’s Marcelo Golm (10-4). Saricam, who trains alongside Gegard Mousasi (49-8-2), will look to derail James’ hype-train on enemy soil.
In addition to the main card, Bellator has announced seven incredible preliminary offerings featuring multiple top-ten ranked athletes and four highly regarded undefeated fighters: Archie Colgan (7-0), Norbert Novenyi Jr. (6-0), Timur Khizriev (12-0), and Ramazan Kuramagomedov (10-0).
The preliminary contests will air live on the Bellator MMA YouTube channel, the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, and Pluto TV.
If you’re a fan of MMA and live in or near Chicago, you won’t want to miss this event. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster and Bellator.com, so be sure to get yours before they sell out. And if you can’t make it to the arena, be sure to tune in to Showtime to catch all the action live.
Bellator 297: Nemkov vs. Romero promises to be an unforgettable night of MMA action. The main event between Nemkov and Romero is one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year, and the co-main event featuring “Pitbull” and Pettis is another must-see matchup. With an undercard featuring some of the top prospects in the sport, this event is not one to be missed. Be sure to tune in on June 16th and witness history being made.
