Last man to beat Alex Pereira in kickboxing rejects UFC contract, MMA analyst blames promotion

Alex Pereira has had several rivals throughout his combat sports career. Among them is former Glory Kickboxing light heavyweight champion Artem Vakhitov, who is the last man to defeat 'Poatan' in the kickboxing ring. While he seemed UFC bound, he ultimately passed on signing with the promotion.

Now, that decision has come into question, analyzed on the Morning Kombat podcast by Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell. Both men were of the opinion that the UFC made a mistake in not trying to secure Vakhitov's services, with Campbell saying the following:

"When presented with a UFC contract, he ultimately passed. Let's first read Vakhitov's statement, and it says the former Glory champion no longer has UFC in his immediate plans despite that contract offer, and the quote is, 'According to UFC protocols, they were not able to offer me more than the standard contract offered to all fighters who progress through this show,' meaning the Contender Series, 'My team attempted to negotiate,' Vakhitov said, 'But the UFC rules were strict, and no changes were possible.' End quote."

Thomas blamed the UFC for its inability to sign Vakhitov despite the latter's success on Dana White's Contender Series.

"What is the point of monopoly if we can't even get the fighters that make exciting noise, that are easily affordable by the promotion?"

Check out Brian Campbell and Luke Thomas's thoughts on the departure of Alex Pereira's kickboxing rival (1:04:48):

Vakhitov's MMA career was relatively short-lived prior to his recent return to kickboxing. After losing due to an arm injury in his first-ever MMA bout, he subsequently TKO'd his next three opponents, injecting an element of excitement for an eventual showdown with Pereira.

Unfortunately, the UFC appears to have given up on him, despite the stage having already been set tfor a clash with Pereira down the line.

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Alex Pereira and Artem Vakhitov have shared the ring twice

While Artem Vakhitov is the last man to beat Alex Pereira in kickboxing, the Brazilian is also the last man to defeat him in the sport. The pair met in back-to-back fights, with 'Poatan' winning the first bout to become the Glory Kickboxing light heavyweight champion in historic fashion.

Check out Alex Pereira vs. Artem Vakhitov 1:

He won via split-decision, but the rematch went his rival's way, with Vakhitov beating him via majority decision to recapture light heavyweight gold. It marked Pereira's last kickboxing match before he went to achieve great things.