Artem Vakhitov eyes trilogy fight with Alex Pereira in UFC move: ‘It’s time for fans to learn about me’
Russian kickboxing talent, Artem Vakhitov – the last opponent to beat former two-division UFC champion, Alex Pereira in the sport, has sights firmly set on fighting the Brazilian in a trilogy bout – inside the Octagon.
Vakhitov, who has twice faced Sao Paulo knockout artist, Pereira under the banner of GLORY Kickboxing, last faced the current UFC light heavyweight champion back in 2021 in Rotterdam, handing him a majority decision defeat.
In the time since, Pereira, who was inducted into the GLORY Kickboxing Hall of Fame late last year to boot, has made a massive impact in the UFC – crowning himself as both the undisputed middleweight and light heavyweight champion,
Featuring just two weeks ago in the main event of UFC 303, Pereira laid waste to former light heavyweight titleholder, Jiri Prochazka, handing the Czech Republic native a second career loss since November with a thunderous second round high-kick knockout win.
Artem Vakhitov chases third fight with UFC star, Alex Pereira
Avenging his split decision loss to Pereira with his own majority judging win three years ago in the Netherlands, Vakhitov who has since amassed a 2-1 professional mixed martial arts record, has sights set on eventually landing a rubber match with the Brazilian under the banner of the UFC.
“MMA was always interesting for me, anyway, but obviously I am very motivated by the prospect of getting that trilogy fight with (Alex) Pereira,” Artem Vakhitov told MMA Fighting. “He’s a superstar right now, and I’m happy for him, but when I hear people saying he’s the best striker in the world – well, I think it’s time for MMA fans to learn about me and my team, put it that way.”
“These [UFC] guys haven’t done well against Alex because their striking isn’t at a high enough level,” Artem Vakhitov continued. “They aren’t confident against him and they think he’s unbeatable, so in their heart they are already defeated before the fight starts. But I have beaten him before in pure striking competition, and I am sure I’ll do it again if we can get our trilogy match in the UFC.”
In his most recent mixed martial arts outing under the banner of Naiza FC, Vakhitov force an opening round, 23-second TKO win over Valisher Khambaev back in February of this year.
Who wins in a potential UFC showdown: Alex Pereira or Artem Vakhitov?
