Vadim Nemkov will make the first defence of his PFL heavyweight world title against Sergei Bilostenniy when the promotion returns to Dubai on Saturday, November 14.
The two Russian heavyweights will headline PFL Dubai at Coca-Cola Arena. It will be the fourth PFL event staged in the emirate and the first since the Professional Fighters League merged with Most Valuable Promotions in July.
The merged company operates under the MVP name, with John Martin serving as chief executive.
Nemkov, who holds a 20-2 professional record, moved up to heavyweight in 2024 after previously holding the Bellator light heavyweight title.
He claimed the vacant PFL heavyweight championship in December 2025, submitting Renan Ferreira with an arm-triangle choke in the first round in Lyon.
The 34-year-old has not lost since 2016. His three fights since moving to heavyweight have all ended by submission.
Bilostenniy arrives in Dubai with a 15-4 record and sits third in the PFL heavyweight rankings. He has won four of his five PFL bouts, with victories over Karl Williams, Tyrell Fortune and former heavyweight champion Ferreira.
There is also some familiarity between the two fighters. Both are associated with Team Fedor and Bilostenniy has previously shared training camps with Nemkov.
PFL is staging the November event in cooperation with Dubai Sports Council and the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism.
Khalfan Juma Belhoul, Vice Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, said the event could also give fighters from the PFL MENA roster more opportunities to compete at a higher level.
“The PFL’s return to Dubai will serve as a major platform for regional talent specifically from the PFL MENA roster to transition onto the global combat sports stage,”
The November card follows PFL’s previous Dubai event at Coca-Cola Arena in February, when Usman Nurmagomedov defended the lightweight title against Alfie Davis.
Tickets for PFL Dubai are now on general sale through the official PFL Dubai ticket page.
