LAS VEGAS – It wouldn’t be the first time a champion kickboxer transitioned to MMA to chase a former foe holding a UFC title, and Artem Vakhitov isn’t hiding the fact he hopes to face Alex Pereira again.
Vakhitov (3-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) earned a UFC contract by finishing Islem Masraf in the first round at Dana White’s Contender Series 75. Now that he’s in the same promotion with UFC light heavyweight champion Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), the chase is on.
The pair battled twice in kickboxing, splitting decision results in 2021. Neither man denies the storyline in a potential trilogy, much like when Pereira entered the UFC and was fast-tracked to a third, and then fourth, meeting with then-middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.