Alex Pereira and Artem Vakhitov, despite being fierce rivals in combat sports, share mutual respect outside the ring, with Pereira even advocating for Vakhitov’s UFC contract after a knockout victory on Contender Series.
Alex Pereira and Artem Vakhitov might be fierce rivals in the combat sports world, but outside the ring? Pure respect.
Tuesday night was a big one for Vakhitov. He scored a first-round knockout on Contender Series. Yet, UFC CEO Dana White seemed unsure about offering him a contract. But guess what? Pereira, who attended the UFC APEX show, vouched for him. And boom—Vakhitov got signed!
After the event, they bumped into each other backstage. Conversations flowed through translators.
“Honestly, seeing you win makes me happy,” Vakhitov told Pereira. “I love what’s happening with you here. Keep at it, keep winning! I’ll focus on myself. Maybe after a few more defenses, we’ll meet again.”
(Video courtesy of Vakhitov’s manager Andrey Busygin)
Back in their GLORY days, Pereira edged out Vakhitov by split decision. Then Vakhitov came back with a majority decision in the rematch. That was Pereira’s last GLORY fight before he jumped to the UFC and became a two-division champ.
Vakhitov eventually shifted full-time to MMA. He and Pereira exchanged messages through interviews and social media.
Despite all the chatter, Vakhitov insisted it was never personal—just business.
“Nothing but respect,” Vakhitov emphasized. “All love; it’s just sports.”
The fighters shook hands and hugged it out. Pereira even shared some parting words with a laugh after giving his former rival that extra push into the UFC.
“You owe me one,” Pereira quipped.
Now, Vakhitov steps into the UFC with a solid 3-1 MMA record—all wins by first-round knockouts.