Corey Anderson and Karl Moore will reportedly headline Bellator’s first event of the year in Belfast. The two are expected to fight for the vacant light heavyweight belt vacated by Vadim Nemkov, who recently moved to the heavyweight division.

Nemkov is no longer in the light heavyweight picture after his fight with Bruno Cappelozza in the 265-pound division at the PFL vs. Bellator event was announced. With this, the 205-pound title is up for grabs, and a recent post from MMA journalist Ariel Helwani says Anderson and Moore are the candidates for it.

According to Helwani, the two will be headlining Bellator’s first 2024 event, which will be held in Belfast on March 22. It is important to note that it will also be the first event of the promotion after it was officially acquired by PFL last year.

The news is not surprising to some as Anderson already voiced intent to represent the belt in the PFL vs. Bellator event after Nemkov’s light heavyweight departure had started. And while it was not granted, it seems the company thinks he is one of the best candidates to fight for it.

To recall, “Overtime” already faced Nemkov twice in his career, with their first bout ending in a No Contest status while the second one was won by the former heavyweight champ. Anderson hoped to get his third chance to defeat Nemkov, but it is no longer possible. Thankfully, he still has the opportunity to wear the belt if he succeeds in taking down Moore, who is certainly an easy opponent.

Moore boasts a four-fight winning streak, with his last being a unanimous decision win over Alex Polizzi last June. The fighter also has five submission wins on his record, unlike Anderson, who still hasn’t made any in his past fights. Yet, this doesn’t ensure his advantage over Anderson, who is currently ranked as the No. 1 fighter in their division and has a total of eight KO wins in his MMA history. 

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