Vadim Nemkov will face Sergei Bilostenny on November 14 at a PFL event in Dubai after his long-awaited matchup with Corey Anderson fell through when Anderson was pulled by medical staff. The fight with Anderson had been rescheduled three times — targeting June, early August, September, and finally October in Chicago — before doctors cleared him out. Nemkov holds no ill will toward Bilostenny for accepting the fight, noting that Bilostenny earned his contender status by beating Ferreira and has always been a technically sharp, physically powerful opponent in shared training camps.
Vadim Nemkov will return to PFL action on November 14 in Dubai, where he will now face Sergei Bilostenny after a medical withdrawal forced Corey Anderson out of their repeatedly rescheduled matchup.
Anderson, 36, was cleared out by medical staff before the two could finally meet. The American light heavyweight carries a 14-5-0 record and fights out of The Kennel Fight Club. Standing six-foot-three with a 79-inch reach, Anderson has long been a credible threat in the division, averaging 4.43 significant strikes landed per minute with a 46 percent striking accuracy and a strong wrestling output of nearly five takedowns per 15 minutes. The bout had been pushed back on four separate occasions, targeting windows in June, early August, September, and most recently October in Chicago, before doctors intervened.
Nemkov, 32, holds a 20-2-0 record and brings a 50 percent striking accuracy into the November contest. The Russian stands six feet tall with a 76-inch reach and has been one of the most dominant light heavyweights in the PFL over the past several years. He expressed no animosity toward Bilostenny for stepping in, acknowledging that his new opponent earned contender status through a victory over Ferreira and has always presented a technically sharp, physically powerful challenge in shared training environments.
Why it matters
- The repeated collapses of Nemkov vs. Anderson leave one of the division's most anticipated matchups unresolved, with no rescheduled date in view.
- Bilostenny's late acceptance, backed by a legitimate contender win, gives the Dubai card a credible main event rather than a filler replacement.
- Nemkov's comfort level with Bilostenny from camp experience could add a familiar but unpredictable dynamic to the bout.
