Alex Pereira’s former kickboxing rival, Artem Vakhitov, has passed on the chance to face Pereira in the UFC.
The athlete competed on Dana White’s Contender Series and secured a victory over his opponent. His performance earned him a contract with the UFC and a potential opportunity to defeat Pereira once again, having previously beaten him in a kickboxing bout. However, Vakhitov surprisingly turned down the offer, citing unfinished business in GLORY.
“Obviously, I was delighted to win my fight on DWCS and get offered a contract,” Vakhitov told MMA Fighting. “It was cool that Alex was there. Also. It felt like the trilogy fight was very close—just a win or two away. Unfortunately, when it came time to finalize the UFC contract, it became clear that the UFC has strict policies for fighters coming through DWCS.
“Under their protocols, they were only able to offer me the standard contract given to all DWCS signings. My team tried to negotiate, but the UFC’s rules left no room for adjustments. I want to be clear that I don’t take issue with their approach—I respect their structure. But I am a prizefighter, and I have a family to support. I have a limited window to make the most of my career.”
Instead, Vakhitov is focused on facing reigning GLORY heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven at GLORY 100. In addition to his reasons for declining the UFC contract, the Russian fighter cited the promotion’s lack of a financially appealing structure as a key factor in his decision.
“Joining the UFC would have been an incredible opportunity, but the financial terms didn’t make sense for me compared to other offers that were also coming in,” Vakhitov said. “So, we had to politely decline.
“The UFC always works off a standard contract after Dana White’s Contender Series. Unfortunately, we could not reach an agreement, or there were some terms we couldn’t agree on. When we got an offer from GLORY and saw the news that Russian fighters were being welcomed back, we were also presented with a chance to fight Rico—possibly for the opportunity to become a double champion. We agreed very easily. And, for sure, for good money—why not?”
Vakhitov’s management team revealed that they had extensively discussed the contract but ultimately couldn’t come to an agreement, believing that some clauses were unfair to their client.
“Artem Vakhitov and Alex Pereira had one of the closest rivalries in GLORY. When the UFC opportunity arose, they both had identical 3-1 records in MMA.” Vakhitov’s manager, Andrey Busygin, told MMA Fighting. “Given that, we felt it was reasonable to request that Artem receive the same kind of deal Alex got when he joined the UFC. It seemed only fair.
“However, the UFC’s policy is that all Dana White’s Contender Series fighters receive the same contract with fixed terms. Personally, I found this unfair to Artem, considering his combat sports accomplishments and the fact that he was on par with Alex at the time he entered the UFC. But rules are rules, and we understood their stance. So, we ultimately had to pass on the offer.
“Of course, it’s disappointing that we won’t get to see Artem and Alex complete their trilogy in the octagon right now. But there’s no animosity—our negotiations with Hunter [Campbell] and his team were very professional and respectful. The doors are not closed.”
Despite passing up on what many would consider a great opportunity, Vakhitov remains unbothered and looks forward to his fight with Verhoeven. The match will mark his return to kickboxing, and he is determined to put on a show.
“This is a fight I’ve wanted for a long time,” Vakhitov said about his matchup against Verhoeven. “I’ve been calling for it since 2017. For years, nobody wanted to fight Rico—he’s called ‘The King’ for a reason; he’s dominated this division for so long.
“But I’ve always believed I’m the best pound-for-pound kickboxer in GLORY, and that belief hasn’t changed. And now, at last, the King is finally ready to face the Tsar.”
