Julio Arce eyes fresh start. UFC bantamweight standout Julio Arce is set to begin a new chapter in his career as he prepares for his Professional Fighters League (PFL) debut in Pittsburgh but the journey to this point has not been without frustration.
Arce recently opened up about his departure from the UFC, describing it as a difficult and uncertain experience. After finishing his contract with a second-round knockout win over Herbert Burns in 2024, Arce expected clarity on his future. Instead, he was left waiting for months without communication from the promotion.
“It was like a seven to eight month wait so then you just don’t know what’s happening,” Arce told MMA Fighting. “I’m seeing fights play out and I’m like, ‘Alright, give me somebody.’ But again, you don’t really know. I don’t know how the negotiations go behind the scenes when your contract is up, if they want to give you a chance to match or whatever.”
According to Arce, the lack of direction was the most frustrating part of the situation. He revealed that he spent seven to eight months unsure whether he would be re-signed or released, making it difficult to plan his next move or accept other opportunities. “Honestly, that was the only little frustrating part because I know there’s, like, a whole wait period there,” Arce said.
“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. You’re like, ‘Okay, am I gonna fight? Am I still with you guys? Am I done? What is it that is going on?’ “Again, I’m very simple person. If you’re like, ‘Hey, we’re going to part ways,’ I’d be like, ‘Cool.’ Look, they were great to me. Everyone on the staff was great. I fought many names over there, it was great experience. It’s just how it ended, it just kept me in the lull because I’m like, ‘Am I able to fight somewhere else? Am I still under contract?’ You know how it is.”
Once his release was confirmed, Arce wasted no time getting back into action. He picked up wins outside the UFC, including victories over Sheymon Moraes and Wilson Reis, rebuilding momentum and putting together a strong winning streak heading into his PFL debut. “I was actually preparing to get signed and do the tournament,” Arce said.
“That would have been so much fun, the experience that my teammate Shane Burgos did, but then I think they just rearranged everything. And regardless, I’m glad to be part of the promotion and get to fight.”
“I think everything depends on how they choose to arrange everything,” Arce said when asked if he could earn the chance for the belt with a victory over Pergande. “The belt is vacant. I know everyone depending on their wins and they’re getting matched up accordingly. It’s still kind like tournament based, but just bracket elimination to see who’s going to end up fighting for the title — and I’m looking for that to be me.”
Now signed with the PFL, Arce is scheduled to face undefeated prospect Alexei Pergande at PFL Pittsburgh, an event taking place on March 28, 2026, at the UPMC Events Center. Pergande is a “young prospect coming in hot and ready to go,” Arce said of the 24-year-old featherweight, who holds a perfect 7-0 record as a professional with all seven bouts taking place under the PFL umbrella, and “that excites me.”
“Any opponent placed in front of me is a tough opponent because in this sport, anything can happen,” Arce said. “He could be a young prospect, but he could have been doing other stuff well for a long time to build him to this type of prospect. Whatever it is, he’s the next tough challenge in front of me and come take that challenge down and then move on up.”
“It doesn’t really matter how, we look to leave there with our hand raised in victory,” he added. “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. Work my way up to that title.”
With the PFL featherweight division currently wide open, Arce sees this as a fresh opportunity to climb the ranks and work toward a championship. While he acknowledges the challenge ahead, he remains confident in his ability to compete and make a statement in his new promotion
