Alex Pereira had the UFC world at his feet. Until he didn’t. One brutal loss to Magomed Ankalaev, and suddenly, the aura is fading. And just like that the whispers of “maybe he’s not invincible after all” are getting louder every day. With a potential rematch on the horizon, ‘Poatan’ has bigger problems to worry about. Or does he? Because while he’s busy figuring out the Dagestani, there’s another man watching closely—Artem Vakhitov, the last fighter to hand Pereira a loss in kickboxing. And if you ask him, he’s already cracked the code to beating ‘Poatan’ all over again.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani on The Ariel Helwani Show, Vakhitov didn’t hold back. When asked if he expected Pereira to succeed in MMA, he admitted, “I would not imagine that he could get as much as he got already.” But he quickly acknowledged Pereira’s knockout power, adding, “People love it, and he just delivered well.” Fair enough. But what about now? Would Vakhitov, with all his knowledge of Pereira’s striking, fancy his chances in an MMA fight?
Well, according to Vakhitov, that someone is him. “He has no defense,” Vakhitov stated bluntly. “He has only the one punch. I could find the keys and win against him easily.” ‘Poatan’ fans might want to look away. But the Russian wasn’t done. “I’ve seen how to do it, and I’m very, very confident with my team that we could get this win by our strategy.”
“[Alex Pereira] has no defense. He has only the one punch. I could find the keys and win against him easily. I’ve seen how to do it and I’m very, very confident with my team that we could get this win by our strategy.”
Artem Vakhitov wants his trilogy bout against Alex Pereira.… pic.twitter.com/7GephIXf7t
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 25, 2025
So, what’s the secret sauce? Vakhitov has been saying it for years. Alex Pereira’s biggest flaw is his all-gas, no-brakes style. “Because of his lack of defense, he is open to taking a lot of punches to the head if he’s facing a skilled striker,” he pointed out last year to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “You saw that in his second fight with Adesanya.” And he’s got a point. Pereira practically walked into that knockout like a man in a hurry to lose his belt.
But now that the idea is floating around, where would this hypothetical showdown even happen? “Since we have got two fights already in kickboxing, it would be interesting to fight Alex in Kickboxing,” Arthem said. That’s convenient. Maybe because the UFC isn’t an option anymore?
Did Alex Pereira dodge a bullet with the UFC contract game?
A Vakhitov-Pereira trilogy in the UFC seemed like a possibility when Vakhitov put on a clinic in Dana White’s Contender Series. Weirdly enough, he entered with the same MMA record (3-1) that ‘Poatan’ had when he joined. A first-round TKO? Check. The hype to join the UFC? Also, check. But then poof. The deal was gone. So, what happened?
Money. Or more specifically, not enough of it. Vakhitov admitted that while the UFC was a tempting prospect, the contract wasn’t exactly life-changing. “I respect their structure. But I am a prizefighter, and I have a family to support.” He and his team tried to negotiate, but Mr. White’s standard, ironclad DWCS contract was about as flexible as a brick wall. Instead of locking himself into a four-fight, 20-month deal with fixed pay, Vakhitov made the tough call to walk.
His manager, Andrey Busygin, didn’t sugarcoat it. “Personally, I felt this was unfair to Artem, given his achievements in combat sports and having the same level as Alex at the time he entered the UFC. But rules are rules. I understand.” In other words, Vakhitov was willing to fight, just not at a discount.
So, with UFC no longer an option, what’s next for ‘The Russian Bear’? A showdown with kickboxing royalty, Rico Verhoeven, by moving up to heavyweight for GLORY 100. And Vakhitov isn’t just chasing another belt. He’s chasing legacy. “This is a fight I’ve wanted for a long time,” he said. And with GLORY offering him a deal that actually reflects his worth, it was a no-brainer. So, what do you think? Would Vakhitov get to expose Pereira in MMA just like he did in kickboxing? Or will it be one win apiece, leaving the score even? Let us know in the comments below!
The post Artem Vakhitov Set to Add to Alex Pereira’s Misery as Ex-UFC Champ’s Gameplan Gets Exposed appeared first on EssentiallySports.