Vadim Nemkov, speaking after his defeat to Sergei Bilosenny, said he suffered a leg injury two weeks before the fight and had to take anti-inflammatory painkillers to compete. He said the leg was hurt in sparring in Belgorod when Alexei Stoyan's backfist heel strike landed on it, and a low kick from Vitek Nemkov then struck the same spot. Nemkov said he began to tire after the first round and could not recover his rhythm later in the fight. He said Bilosenny's straight punches stopped his takedowns after the first one landed, and that a rematch would be welcome if he were in good condition.
Vadim Nemkov has pointed to a leg injury and the painkillers he took to manage it as factors in his defeat to Sergei Bilosenny, saying he was far from fully fit when he stepped in to fight.
Speaking after the loss, Nemkov said he hurt his leg about two weeks before the bout. According to his account, the injury happened in sparring in Belgorod, when a backfist heel strike from Alexei Stoyan landed on the leg. A low kick from Vitek Nemkov then struck the same spot. Nemkov said he needed anti-inflammatory painkillers to get through the fight.
He said the problems showed up in the cage. Nemkov began to tire after the first round and was unable to find his rhythm again, he said. He also explained why his wrestling stalled: after his first takedown landed, Bilosenny's straight punches kept the rest of his attempts at bay. Nemkov said he would welcome a rematch if he were in good condition.
Nemkov's profile
Nemkov, 32, is a Russian fighter with a record of 20-2-0. He stands six feet tall, or 183 cm, and has a 76-inch reach, which is 193 cm. His recorded striking accuracy is 50 percent, a figure that gives context to his comments about Bilosenny's straight punches becoming the key factor in shutting down his takedown game.
Why it matters
- Nemkov has now taken the second loss on his record, against 20 wins, and his comments frame the defeat as the product of a compromised leg rather than a clear gap in skill.
- His explanation of the takedown problem points to a specific stylistic issue: straight punches discouraging entries after his initial success.
- By saying he would accept a rematch under better conditions, Nemkov has left the door open to a second meeting with Bilosenny.
The account of the injury, the sparring session and the painkillers comes from Nemkov himself, and it is his own assessment of what went wrong in the fight.
