Vadim Nemkov defends PFL heavyweight title against Sergei Bilostenniy in Dubai on November 14

The 15-fight card at the Coca-Cola Arena is now finalised, with unbeaten welterweight Patrick Habirora facing PFL MENA champion Omar El Dafrawy in the co-main event.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Wed 28 Oct, 00:23 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Nemkov v Bilostenniy, PFL Dubai, November 14 — Original graphic: Combat Sports UK

Vadim Nemkov will make the first defence of his PFL heavyweight title against fellow Russian Sergei Bilostenniy at PFL Dubai on November 14, topping a 15-fight card at the Coca-Cola Arena.

Nemkov (20-2, 1 NC) won the belt by stopping Renan Ferreira in four minutes in December 2025. The former Bellator champion and protégé of Fedor Emelianenko has not lost in a decade, going unbeaten in 15 MMA fights across RIZIN, Bellator and the PFL.

"I always try to finish fights with a submission or a choke. Like Fedor says, fights should end early," Nemkov said in a release. "But fighting is unpredictable, things don't always go according to plan, so you have to be ready to adjust during the fight."

Bilostenniy (15-4) earned the title shot by knocking out Ferreira in the second round in May, taking his PFL record to 4-1. The 31-year-old has won two-thirds of his MMA victories by knockout.

"I'm in the middle of my training in Moscow, there's not long left now until a real, action-packed fight," Bilostenniy said. "A true test for myself. I want to treat the fans to a great, exciting bout between two big Russian guys! My mindset is excellent, I'm ready for battle."

In the co-main event, Belgium's Patrick Habirora (9-0) faces PFL MENA welterweight champion Omar El Dafrawy (16-6). Habirora went 3-0 in PFL Europe with three first-round knockouts, most recently stopping former UFC champion Benson Henderson in 20 seconds. El Dafrawy is on a two-fight winning streak after a pair of wins earlier this year.

The main card also features unbeaten heavyweight Pouya Rahmani against Oleg Popov, former Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis against Joji Goto, and Abubakar Nurmagomedov, a cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov, against David Martinez at welterweight. It starts at 6pm UK time.

Main card