Two titles are on the line at Bellator 297, with one fight for a shot at history. Vadim Nemkov defends the Bellator light heavyweight title against Yoel Romero, while Sergio Pettis defends the Bellator bantamweight title against current featherweight champion Patricio Freire.
Bellator 297 is in Wintrust Arena in Chicago and airs on Showtime in the U.S.
A four-time gold medalist in the World Championships, Nemkov made his MMA debut in 2013. Joining Bellator in 2017, Nemkov is 8-0 with one no-contest with the promotion. He beat Ryan Bader in 2020 for the Bellator light heavyweight title. During the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix, he beat Phil Davis and Julius Anglickas but fought Corey Anderson to a no-contest in the finals due to a clash of heads.
The rematch at Bellator 288 in November saw Nemkov beat Anderson via unanimous decision.
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Romero, a 2000 Olympic gold medalist, turned pro in 2009. The "Soldier of God" joined the UFC in 2013 and went 9-3 with the promotion, going 0-3 in title fights (missing weight in one bout). The 46-year-old signed with Bellator in 2020. He was supposed to fight in 2021 but failed medicals, delaying his debut. He finally fought in 2022, beating Alex Polizzi in May and Melvin Manhoef in September.
The brother of Anthony Pettis, Sergio 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. This is his return fight.
Freire 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, 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.
The winner of this fight would most likely face Bantamweight Grand Prix victor Patchy Mix next.
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Here's all the information you need heading into Bellator 297, including time, channel, odds, card, and more.
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.
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.
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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.
Where is Bellator 297: Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero?
Bellator 297 takes place inside the Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Home to DePaul basketball and the Chicago Sky, the arena can hold up to 10,000+ people.
Betting odds for Bellator 297: Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero
Odds are currently unavailable for this event. The Sporting News will provide updates when available.
MORE: How to bet on combat sports
Betting odds for Bellator 297: Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Freire
Per Caesars, Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov is the -550 favorite, while Yoel Romero is the +400 underdog.
Per Caesars, Patricio Freire is the -170 favorite, while Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis is the +145 underdog.
Vadim Nemkov record, bio
- Nationality: Russian
- Born: June 20, 1992
- Height: 6-0
- Reach: 76 inches
- Total fights: 17
- Record: 16-2, one no-contest, 10 wins via knockout
Yoel Romero record, bio
- Nationality: Cuban
- Born: April 30, 1977
- Height: 5-10
- Reach: 73 inches
- Total fights: 21
- Record: 15-6 with 13 wins via knockout
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Sergio Pettis record, bio
- Nationality: American
- Born: August 18, 1993
- Height: 5-6
- Reach: 69 inches
- Total fights: 27
- Record: 22-5 with 4 wins via knockout
Patricio Freire record, bio
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Born: July 7, 1987
- Height: 5-6
- Reach: 65.5 inches
- Total fights: 40
- Record: 35-5 with 11 wins via knockout
Bellator 297 fight card
Main card
- Vadim Nemkov (c) vs. Yoel Romero for the Bellator light heavyweight title
- Sergio Pettis (c) vs. Patricio Freire for the Bellator bantamweight title
- Corey Anderson vs. Phil Davis; Light Heavyweights
- Daniel James vs. Gokhan Saricam; Heavyweights
Prelims
- Kyle Crutchmer vs. Bobby Nash; Welterweights
- Gadzhi Rabadanov vs. Pieter Buist; Lightweights
- Jaleel Willis vs. Ramazan Kuramagomedov; Welterweights
- Karl Moore vs. Alex Polizzi; Light Heavyweights
- Wladmir Gouvea vs. Gabriel Sayeg; Heavyweights
- Archie Colgan vs. Emmanuel Sanchez; Lightweights
- Mike Hamel vs. Shamil Nikaev; Lightweights
- Norbert Novenyi Jr. vs. Kamil Oniszczuk; Middleweights
- Timur Khizriev vs. Richie Smullen; Featherweights
- Jordan Newman vs. Matthew Perry; Middleweights
- Cody Law vs. Edwin Chavez; Featherweights
- Max Metzgar vs. David McKinney; Lightweights
