The upcoming
PFL Dubai card will feature an intriguing prospect in Alexei
Pergande.
Fighting out of Nashville, Tennessee, Pergande has won all eight of
his professional bouts under the
Professional Fighters League banner. The 5-foot-7 prospect will
compete at lightweight against Akhmed
Magomedov on Nov. 14 at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab
Emirates. Pergande earned his promotional contract through the 2022
PFL Challenger Series. His opponents have a combined record of
56-37.
Ian Garry
unfollowed PFL fighter Alexei
Pergande after a clip resurfaced of him taking down Garry in
sparring: “Ian Garry is
lying about me… I’m not sure why he made up a lie [about me
filming him without permission].” (via alexei_pergande/TT)
https://t.co/M82ZQ0GXho
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
June 19, 2026
A
heavyweight title fight headlines PFL Dubai: Tune in on Saturday,
Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. ET on the ESPN app.
Known as “Russian DNA,” Pergande trains at
Nashville MMA and
Kill Cliff FC. Drawing on his high school wrestling background,
he uses persistent takedowns and ground control to wear down
opponents. The 25-year-old finished his wrestling career with a
231-44 record. His MMA résumé includes five decisions and three
submissions, all by choke. He also had a public dispute with former
UFC title challenger Ian Garry
after
posting footage of himself taking down “The Future” in
sparring.
Alexei
Pergande GETS IT DONE IN THE 1ST ROUND 😱💪 [ #PFLWorldTournament
| NOW ESPN+ | Main Card 9pm ESPN] https://t.co/7wAnUdXIGD
— PFL (@PFLMMA)
August 22, 2025
Pergande showed promise in his professional debut at the 2022 PFL
Challenger Series, submitting Joe Hamm with
an arm-triangle choke. He managed the distance on the feet and used
well-timed takedowns to control the action. After advancing through
dominant positions on the ground, he secured the finish at 4:42 of
Round 2.
Four months after earning his contract, Pergande faced Elvis
Lebron Quiles on a PFL playoff card. He followed a similar
wrestling-based approach in his second professional bout,
overcoming adversity in the final round to earn a split decision.
The scores were 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28.
Alexei
Pergande gets the TAP and the 22 Year Old improves to 3-0 as a
pro! #PFLRegularSeason LIVE NOW 🇺🇸 ESPN+ 🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomD5xg
https://t.co/vyvvE5Qfz6
— PFL (@PFLMMA)
June 8, 2023
Following a 10-month layoff, Pergande returned in a showcase bout
against Akeem
Bashir, submitting him in the opening round. Decisions over
Shawn
Stefanelli, Daniel
Boehle and Mike
Bardsley followed. He added another first-round submission in
August 2025, again using a Brabo choke. In his most recent
appearance, Pergande earned a unanimous decision over UFC veteran
and former Ring of Combat champion Julio
Arce.
Despite appearing on regular-season and playoff cards, Pergande has
yet to compete in a PFL season or tournament bracket. A place in a
future tournament could offer a clearer measure of his potential.
First comes Magomedov, a Bellator
MMA veteran who also relies heavily on wrestling and
submissions. Their matchup should test Pergande’s ability to impose
his game against an opponent with similar strengths.