Julio Arce makes PFL debut in Pittsburgh vs. unbeaten Alexei Pergande

Julio Arce will make his PFL debut this Saturday in Pittsburgh when he faces undefeated featherweight Alexei Pergande. Arce arrives after a rocky exit from the UFC and a run of wins outside the promotion.

Arce’s exit from the UFC

Arce finished his UFC contract with a second-round knockout win over Herbert Burns. That came after he missed weight for a bout at UFC Atlantic City in March 2024.

After that win Arce said he waited seven to eight months without clear answers about a new deal. He told UFCcoverage, “It was like a seven to eight month wait so then you just don’t know what’s happening. I’m seeing fights play out and I’m like, ‘Alright, give me somebody.’”

He said the long wait was the most frustrating part. “If you could just be like, ‘Hey, we don’t want to continue.’ You could have just told me right there. But I think it’s just the waiting and not really knowing what was going on,” Arce said to UFCcoverage.

A fresh start and a new streak

Once he learned the UFC chapter was over, Arce signed with Victory Fighting League. He beat fellow UFC veteran Sheymon Moraes in August 2025 and knocked out Wilson Reis less than three months later.

That gave Arce a three-fight winning streak — his best run since he began fighting in the UFC. After those wins he signed with the PFL and prepared for a new challenge.

Arce said he had been preparing for another format, too. “I was actually preparing to get signed and do the tournament,” he told UFCcoverage. He mentioned teammate Shane Burgos’ tournament experience and said he was glad to be part of PFL.

PFL debut and the road to a title

Arce faces 24-year-old Alexei Pergande, a perfect 7-0 professional who has fought all seven of his bouts in PFL. Arce called Pergande a “young prospect coming in hot and ready to go,” and said the matchup excites him.

The PFL featherweight title is currently vacant. Arce knows there are fighters ahead of him, but he said he wants to work up to a title shot and to become champion. “It doesn’t really matter how, we look to leave there with our hand raised in victory,” Arce told UFCcoverage. “Either we have to make this a dog fight, we would have to knockout or submission, you know? Two dangerous fighters getting in there, anything’s bound to happen, but I’m looking to just come out with my hand raised up in the air and moving on to the next challenge.”