Vadim Nemkov record: 19-2-0, 14 straight wins and a PFL title defense in Dubai

Vadim Nemkov has won 14 fights in a row and sits at 19-2-0, with 15 of those 19 wins coming by finish. The PFL heavyweight champion defends his belt against Sergey Bilostenniy in Dubai on 14 November 2026.

Vadim Nemkov record: 19-2-0 and a 14-fight win streak

Nemkov is 34 and made his professional debut on 27 June 2013. He stands 182 cm with a 193 cm reach. In that time he has moved from Bellator light heavyweight title fights to the PFL heavyweight belt, and he is 5-0 across his last five.

The breakdown of the 19 wins is clean: nine by KO or TKO, six by submission and four by decision. The 79 per cent finish rate is the share of wins that ended by KO, TKO or submission. Of his two losses, one came by KO or TKO and one by decision. He has never been submitted, and the no contest against Anderson is not counted as a loss.

How the wins came

Knockouts lead his career tally, but the recent chapter belongs to the submission game. Three of his last five wins ended on the mat: an arm-triangle choke against Renan Ferreira, a rear-naked choke against Timothy Johnson and another arm-triangle choke against Bruno Cappelozza. Two of those were finished in round 1, the third in round 2.

The Bellator years tell a different story. Nemkov fought for titles again and again at light heavyweight, and those fights went long. Six of his last eight listed bouts were title fights, against Phil Davis, Julius Anglickas, Corey Anderson twice, Yoel Romero and Cappelozza. Against Davis in April 2021 he won a decision after five rounds. Against Anglickas in October 2021 he finished with a kimura at 4:25 of round 4.

The first Anderson fight in April 2022 was ruled a no contest after an accidental clash of heads in round 3. The rematch in November 2022 went the full five rounds and he took the unanimous decision. Against Romero in June 2023 he won by unanimous decision again over five rounds.

Recent form: last five fights

Date	Opponent	Result	Method	Round
13 Dec 2025	Renan Ferreira	Win	Submission (arm-triangle choke)	1
25 Jan 2025	Timothy Johnson	Win	Submission (rear-naked choke)	1
24 Feb 2024	Bruno Cappelozza	Win	Submission (arm-triangle choke)	2
16 Jun 2023	Yoel Romero	Win	Decision (unanimous)	5
18 Nov 2022	Corey Anderson	Win	Decision (unanimous)	5

The Ferreira win came at PFL Champions Series 4 and ended at 4:00 of round 1, in a heavyweight bout. The Johnson fight at PFL Champions Series 1 in January 2025 was another heavyweight bout, finished with a rear-naked choke at 3:08 of round 1. Cappelozza was the last light heavyweight title fight on the list, at PFL vs. Bellator, and it ended at 2:13 of round 2.

Next fight: Nemkov vs. Bilostenniy in Dubai

The title fight at PFL Dubai: Nemkov vs. Bilostenniy is the main event on 14 November 2026. Bilostenniy arrives at 15-4-0 and is ranked number 3 in the PFL heavyweight division.

Both of his heavyweight fights on the table ended in round 1, Ferreira at 4:00 and Johnson at 3:08. That is the clock Bilostenniy has to beat,.

For Nemkov, it is a chance to stretch the streak to 15 and keep the heavyweight belt. Bilostenniy gets a main event and a title shot against a champion who has finished 15 of his 19 wins.