Video | The last man to defeat Alex Pereira in kickboxing Artem Vakhitov scores Contender Series KO in front of ‘Poatan’

Artem Vakhitov picked up a huge win on Dana White’s Contender Series – and Alex Pereira was right there to watch it all unfold.

Last night, Artem Vakhitov put a beating on Islem Masraf and managed to earn himself a UFC contract in the process. Vakhitov, 33, is best known for being a two-time Glory light heavyweight champion in the world of kickboxing. Oh, and he’s also the last person to defeat Pereira in kickboxing before the latter made his switch over to mixed martial arts.

RELATED: Alex Pereira hits back at former rival Artem Vakhitov’s comments about his striking: “Be careful”

Does that sound familiar? It may well do, likely because it’s very similar to how Pereira came over to the UFC and kickstarted his rivalry with Israel Adesanya. With that being said, it certainly seems as if  ‘Poatan’ is on better terms with Vakhitov than he was with ‘Stylebender’ back in the day.

During the bout, Pereira was actually there watching live to see Vakhitov’s triumph and even spoke to him backstage afterwards.

https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1843832904130146595

https://twitter.com/MMAJunkie/status/1843863180784664658

Dana White explains how Alex Pereira convinced him to sign Artem Vakhitov to the UFC.

"He said, 'I think he's talented enough and he deserves to be here.'" pic.twitter.com/CUroG6bXDR

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) October 9, 2024

Vakhitov set for UFC

In addition to the two sharing words backstage about a potential trilogy fight (Pereira won their first meeting via split decision), Dana White also spoke on the matter. He revealed that the UFC champ actively told the boss that he believes Vakhitov deserves a contract. While that probably wasn’t the only reason Dana signed him, it’s certainly interesting to hear that perspective.

The two probably aren’t destined to meet in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but then again, many said the same thing for Alex and Adesanya.

Do you believe there is a chance that Artem Vakhitov will earn a crack at Alex Pereira in the UFC? If it does happen, do you picture it being a competitive fight? Let us know your thoughts on this, BJPENN Nation!