A pair of UFC veterans will be making their promotional debuts as part of the PFL Pittsburgh card this March.
In a recent press release, PFL officials announced two more fights for their 2026 U.S. debut. In one, Ariane Lipski da Silva (17-11) faces off with Sumiko Inaba (8-2) in women’s flyweight action. Da Silva’s fellow UFC alum Julio Arce (21-6), meanwhile, will fight in the PFL SmartCage for the first time against undefeated featherweight Alexei Pergande (7-0).
Known as the “Queen of Violence” or “Violence Queen” since her KSW days, da Silva went 6-8 in the UFC, after setting a perfect 5-0 record and capturing gold in her prior home. The Brazilian ended her UFC tenure on a three-fight skid that featured losses to Karine Silva, Jasmine Jasudavicius, and Wang Cong.
News of Ariane Lipski da Silva signing with the PFL made the rounds back in September. Things are a little different for Bellator vet Sumiko Inaba, however.
Inaba is 1-1 under the PFL banner (and took a fight on the Bellator Champions Series in between, which might as well be considered PFL), and is coming off a loss to promotional darling Dakota Ditcheva. The Hawaiian has just two losses in her professional career, with the other coming to former Bellator star and kickboxer Denise Kielholtz.
Julio Arce’s exit from the UFC early last year came as something of a surprise, considering he was coming off a victory over Herbert Burns. Arce, however, then linked up with the Global Fight League (GFL), a promotion that promised fair pay for fighters and health insurance, but one that never actually managed to hold an event.
Since then, Arce has picked up a pair of wins on the regional scene over Sheymon Moraes and Wilson Reis, both UFC veterans. That makes him the first true test for prospect Pergrande.
PFL Pittsburgh takes place on March 28, 2026 at the PMC Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The card is headlined by a middleweight showdown between Johnny Eblen and Bryan Battle.
