Artem Vakhitov is no stranger to the thrill of high-stakes combat. Known for his prowess in kickboxing, Vakhitov once bested current UFC champion Alex Pereira in the ring. Now, he sets his sights on repeating history, but this time in the MMA arena. Four years ago, Pereira transitioned to MMA and ultimately captured the UFC gold by defeating Israel Adesanya at UFC 281. Inspired by Pereira's journey, Vakhitov is on a mission to secure his own trilogy win against his longtime rival.
Vakhitov and Pereira have squared off twice under the GLORY Kickboxing banner, each claiming a victory. Pereira edged out Vakhitov by split decision in their first encounter in January 2017. Eight months later, Vakhitov avenged the loss with a majority decision, handing Pereira his final defeat before transitioning to the UFC. The two fighters share mutual respect, but Vakhitov's ambition burns bright as he eyes a decisive third bout.
“We are 1-1 against each other, so the next fight will be the trilogy fight and I think that will be a big fight for fans all over the world,” Vakhitov said in a recent statement. “We are both top-level strikers... I’ll be very confident for that fight.”
Since debuting in professional MMA in 2023, Vakhitov has compiled a 2-1 record. His journey began with a setback due to an elbow injury but has since seen back-to-back TKO victories. To hone his MMA skills, Vakhitov has been training at Kill Cliff FC in Florida.
“MMA was always interesting for me, anyway, but obviously I am very motivated by the prospect of getting that trilogy match with Pereira,” Vakhitov said. “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.”
Vakhitov is confident he has the tools to dethrone Pereira, one of the UFC's biggest stars. He believes Pereira's aggressive style leaves him vulnerable.
“His biggest weakness is that he is all attack – he has no defense,” Vakhitov explained. “He leaves a lot of openings for people who know what they are doing. These other guys haven’t done well against Alex because their striking isn’t at a high enough level... 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.”
Can Artem Vakhitov transition from kickboxing to MMA and topple Alex Pereira in the UFC? Follow his journey and get the latest updates by clicking here.