Artem Vakhitov hasn’t even had a UFC fight yet, and the promotional wheels are already turning for an Alex Pereira showdown.
Two days after his UFC 307 title defense, Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) boarded a plane from Connecticut to Las Vegas to witness in person Vakhitov (3-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) earn a UFC deal at Dana White’s Contender Series 75.
Vakhitov was patient as he waited for his moment to significantly attack French heavyweight Islem Masraf (3-1) with a flurry for a TKO stoppage at 4:23 of Round 1.
After the fight, UFC CEO Dana White said he debated what he should do with Vakhitov but consulted Pereira, who gave a resounding “absolutely, positively.”
THE RIGHT HAND FROM ARTEM VAKHITOV 💥 #DWCS pic.twitter.com/9f379qJMX0
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 9, 2024
Vakhitov, 33, is a two-time Glory light heavyweight champion, who defended the title five times. He is the last man to defeat Pereira in kickboxing.
The two fighters are tied 1-1 in their lifetime series. Pereira won the first fight by split decision and Vakhitov won the second by majority decision.
Vakhitov told MMA Junkie prior to the bout that while he really wants to fight Pereira again, the two are friendly and respectful without bad blood.
He transitioned to MMA in June 2023 and suffered an injury in the bout. After back-to-back finishes, he earned his DWCS shot and maintained his 100 percent finishing rate.
Dana White said that Alex Pereira told him to sign Artem Vakhitov after his knockout win on #DWCS 👀 pic.twitter.com/ByV4mdcJIS
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 9, 2024
Up-to-the-minute DWCS 75 results include:
- Artem Vakhitov def. Islem Masraf via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:23
- Kody Steele def. Chasen Blair via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:07
- Mario Pinto def. Lucas Camacho via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:43
- Islam Dulatov def. Vanilto Antunes via knockout (elbow) – Round 1, 2:44
- Sean Gauci def. Anthony Drilich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 75.
