Vadim Nemkov says Fedor Emelianenko would have a real shot at beating Francis Ngannou if the two ever boxed. Nemkov said Emelianenko is ready if MVP wants to offer the fight, and added that the 50-year-old veteran is still fast on his feet, explosive and hard to hit because of his movement.
The comments land now because Nemkov headlines PFL Dubai against Sergey Bilostennyi on Saturday, keeping his own name in the middle of a heavyweight division that still circles around bigger crossover ideas. Nemkov, who is riding a 14-fight unbeaten streak, said he has a plan for Bilostennyi and called him very worthy of a title shot, but his thoughts clearly wandered to the man he trains with and learns from.
That is where the intrigue gets bigger. Emelianenko has not fought in nearly four years, last losing to Ryan Bader for the Bellator championship after his last MMA win came five years ago with a quick knockout of Tim Johnson. He has ruled out a return to MMA, even while saying boxing Francis Ngannou would be a real dream, and Nemkov believes the matchup would favor his mentor if it ever happened.
Nemkov's view is blunt. He said Emelianenko's ring movement makes him difficult to catch and that he sees a path for him against Ngannou, who stopped Philipe Lins on the first MVP MMA card in May after earlier boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. For now, though, the matchup remains a possibility tied to whether MVP would actually make an offer, while Nemkov keeps his own attention on Saturday's title defense in Dubai.
He says he always trains for five rounds, but he is still looking for a finish whenever one is there. That mindset will shape the night in Dubai. What happens after that depends on whether a boxing offer for Emelianenko ever gets serious enough to move from dream to contract.
