Alex Pereira‘s popularity is at an all-time high after UFC 307. The light heavyweight champion is one of Dana White‘s biggest cash cows, having proven his worth in several pay-per-view events. So far, Pereira has already slayed all of his opponents. However, his former kickboxing foe, Artem Vakhitov, intends to do the impossible.
Artem Vakhitov recently competed in Dana White’s Contender Series 71. The Russian kickboxer defeated French light heavyweight Islem Masraf via TKO. After the fight, White officially gave Vakhitov his UFC contract for the TKO finish. According to the UFC CEO, it was Alex Pereira who assisted White in making the decision.
I actually called Alex back with me to talk about this fight…Alex said you absolutely, positively deserve a shot in the UFC. So, thank you Alex Pereira.
Dana White via Contender Series
The 33-year-old Vakhitov won the Glory light heavyweight championship twice and made five title defenses. He is the last man to win a kickboxing match against Pereira. Vakhitov and Pereira first competed at GLORY 77 in January 2021. Pereira defeated Vakhitov in a split decision. Three months later, in September 2021, at GLORY 78, they collided again. This time, Vakhitov was determined the winner.
Artem Vakhitov, the last man to beat Alex Pereira in kickboxing, just got a UFC contract 👀
Dana White says he gave him the contract because Alex Pereira said he deserves it 🤝 #DWCS #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/8FhySR8MhE
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 9, 2024
Since then, Pereira has joined the UFC and become a huge superstar with a massive fan following. He has defeated five former UFC champions and is arguably the most active and dominant champion in the UFC. In 2024, Poatan defended the light heavyweight title three times. Going forward, Vakhitov believes he can change this and stop Pereira’s reign.
Artem Vakhitov warns Alex Pereira after UFC signing
Chasing opponent from Glory Kickboxing to UFC and pulling off a huge upset is a tough task. It sounds like an underdog story that fans have already experienced. Artem Vakhitov wants to do the same to Alex Pereira as the Brazilian did to Israel Adesanya. With his recent signing, Vakhitov has now completed the first step.
Vakhitov has been calling out Pereira for some time now and wasn’t impressed by his meteoric rise in the UFC. Vakhitov claimed that Pereira lacks defense, and he will make sure to exploit that. In a recent interview, the Russian fighter warned ‘Poatan’ to enjoy his winning run before an eventual showdown between them both.
We have a story with Alex, and it’s a good opportunity to face him again…I’m just wishing for him to win as much as he can until he meets me.
Artem Vakhitov via MMA Junkie
Alex Pereira’s former kickboxing rival, Artem Vakhitov, gets his shot at a UFC contract tonight on #DWCS – which he hopes leads to a future MMA showdown with the reigning light heavyweight champ.
Full story via @mma_kings: pic.twitter.com/vcpc1OWj3T
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) October 8, 2024
However, unlike Pereira and Adesanya, Vakhitov doesn’t share a sense of bad blood with the Brazilian. Both fighters have a friendly relationship with healthy competition. Given the limelight, it won’t be surprising to see Vakhitov getting a push in the rankings and fighting Pereira in the near future.
