Artem Vakhitov, the last man to defeat UFC star Alex Pereira in GLORY, set to make his MMA debut

Artem Vakhitov, the last man to defeat former UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira in kickboxing has booked his mixed martial arts debut.

Armet Vakhitov, a two-time GLORY Kickboxing light heavyweight champion, holds the distinction of being the last man to hand Alex Pereira a loss before the Brazilian boogeyman made his own transition to MMA. Of course, we all know how well that turned out with ‘Poatan’ scoring a shocking fifth-round knockout against longtime rival Israel Adesanya to capture the UFC’s 185-pound crown at UFC 281 in November. Vakhitov hopes to follow a similar path as he begins his own mixed martial arts career in his native Russia.

As confirmed by MMA Fighting, Artem Vakhitov will make his debut at Open FC 31 in Shergesh, Russia, on June 11. He is set to square off with ‘The Egypitian Lion’ Ashraf Bashandy, a fighter who will be making his own pro MMA debut after going 4-1 as an amateur with three of those victories coming by way of submission.

Artem Vakhitov Closed Out His GLORY Kickboxing Career with a Majority Decision Over Alex Pereira

The 32-year-old Russian striking standout has an impressive 23 wins in the world of kickboxing with eight via knockout. Vakhitov defended the GLORY world championship five times before surrendering the belt to Alex Pereira via a closely-contested split decision at GLORY 77. Eight months later, Vakhitov would reclaim the title, securing a majority decision over Pereira in what would be the Brazilian’s last fight with the promotion before moving on to the UFC.

Vakhitov parted ways with GLORY in 2022, intent on making his MMA debut under one of North America’s premiere combat sports promotions. Instead, Vakhitov will look to earn his first win in mixed martial arts on the Russian regional scene.

Artem Vakhitov vs. Ashraf Bashandy will serve at the main event for the June 11 showcase in his homeland.