WATCH | Vadim Nemkov has virtual face-off with Yoel Romero as ‘Soldier of God’ misses presser due to fear of heights

Bellator light-heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov had a unique staredown with Yoel Romero today.

The Russian has been out of the cage since his rematch with Corey Anderson last October. At Bellator 288, Vadim Nemkov scored a unanimous decision win over ‘Overtime’ to retain his light-heavyweight title. That was a huge win for the champion, as it set the record for most Bellator title defenses in the division, with three.

Nonetheless, Vadim Nemkov is slated to return this Friday night at Bellator 297 against Yoel Romero. ‘Soldier of God’ is riding a two-fight winning streak, defeating Melvin Manhoef and Alex Polizzi by knockout last year. That has led the Cuban fighter to receive his first crack at gold in over three years.

However, while Yoel Romero doesn’t fear Vadim Nemkov, he’s not perfect, as seen by today’s press conference. Earlier today, the Bellator 297 presser went down, noticeably without the UFC veteran. As a result, the light-heavyweight champion and challenger were forced to have a face-off over a screen.

According to Chael Sonnen, who was the host of the press conference, the challenger missed the event due to a fear of heights. Luckily for fans, that led to a wild, and bizarre face-off between Vadim Nemkov and Yoel Romero.

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“Turns out, he’s not scared of much. Can we agree on that?” Chael Sonnen joked about Yoel Romero at the Bellator press conference earlier today. “Do you guys know why he’s not here today? I hope you don’t know. Do you know why Yoel is not with us today? Turns out, he’s scared of heights.”

He continued, “He wasn’t scared of [Vadim] Nemkov, he wasn’t scared of the Russian, mysterious, champion of the world that he’s going to be locked in the cage with. But he was scared to come to the press conference when he found out what floor it was on. Quite frankly, I really don’t blame him guys, we’re up here pretty high.”

What do you make of this Bellator news? Are you excited about Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero?