Latest news with #Vakhitov
Forbes
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
DWCS Winner Artem Vakhitov Turns Down UFC Contract Offer
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 08: Artem Vakhitov of Russia prepares to face Islem Masraf of Algeria in ... More a light heavyweight fight during Dana White's Contender Series season eight, week nine at UFC APEX on October 8, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) When Artem Vakhitov's name appeared on a Dana White's Contender Series card in October 2024, fight fans raised their eyebrows. Vakhitov came to the DWCS with a stellar combat sports pedigree. The 33-year-old was a two-time Glory Kickboxing champion and a muay Thai world champion. He was also the fighter who former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira lost to in his final Glory Kickboxing contest before Pereira moved to MMA full-time in 2021 after defeating Vakhitov earlier that same year. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 08: Artem Vakhitov of Russia punches Islem Masraf of Algeria in a light ... More heavyweight fight during Dana White's Contender Series season eight, week nine at UFC APEX on October 8, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Vakhitov scored a first-round TKO win during his DWCS appearance, stopping Islem Masraf at the 4:23 mark of Round 1. At the time of his win, I wrote of Vakhitov: "The main appeal of this fight was that Artem Vakhitov was the last man to defeat current UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in a kickboxing match. Vakhitov did not have much to offer in the clinch, but when he was able to get distance on Islem Masraf, he showed his power and closed out the light heavyweight fight in the first round. 'I'm not sure if Vakhitov, with just four pro fights, none of which have left the first round, is ready for UFC competition yet, but he did what he needed to do on Tuesday night.' As for UFC CEO Dana White, he offered the following on Vakhitov: 'So, this was an interesting fight. (There was) More clinching than I expected, and you obviously got the job done, you got the finish, and I actually called Alex (Pereira, who was in attendance at the UFC Apex that night) with me to talk about this fight and your win. Obviously you have a ton of experience. You got like 30 pro fights, not including MMA, and Alex said you absolutely, positively deserve a shot in the UFC.' White's words brought a smile to Vakhitov's face that night. That smile did not last long. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 08: Artem Vakhitov of Russia reacts after a knockout victory against ... More Islem Masraf of Algeria in a light heavyweight fight during Dana White's Contender Series season eight, week nine at UFC APEX on October 8, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) 'I was elated when I won my fight in DWCS and got the contract,' Vakhitov told MMA Junkie in a written statement via a translator. 'Alex was ringside. We all talked afterwards, and it looked like the trilogy fight was a real possibility if I next went into the UFC and won a fight or two. '… Unfortunately, when it came time to make the UFC contract, it transpired that the UFC has very strict conditions regarding fighters who come through DWCS. 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. … My team attempted to negotiate, but the UFC rules were strict, and no changes were possible.' From what we know from athletic commission disclosed UFC payouts, a DWCS contract usually starts with the fighter making $10,000 in show money with another $10,000 if they win their first fight under that deal. The pay increases from there. MMA Junkie added that the UFC can opt to use 'a clause the promotion can activate, which would automatically put a selected fighter on a 20-month, four-fight deal" when it comes to DWCS contracts. 'I do not wish to appear arrogant regarding this contract,' Vakhitov added. 'I understand they have their rules, and I respect that, but I am a prizefighter. I have daughters to provide for and a short window of opportunity. It would have been a great dream to enter the UFC, but I could not justify the loss of earnings this contract would represent. And so we had to respectfully decline. But all of our dealings were pleasant, and perhaps in the future we will talk again.' LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 08: Artem Vakhitov of Russia punches Islem Masraf of Algeria in a light ... More heavyweight fight during Dana White's Contender Series season eight, week nine at UFC APEX on October 8, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) 'The UFC position was that all fighters coming through Dana White Contender Series receive the same contract with standard terms and conditions,' Andrey Busygin told MMA Junkie in a written statement. 'Personally I felt this was unfair to Artem, given his achievements in combat sports and having the same level as Alex at the time he entered the UFC. But rules are rules. I understand.' 'We had to decline signing this agreement,' Busygin said. 'It's a shame, but there are no hard feelings. We respect their position, and they respect ours. We had very pleasant negotiations with (UFC chief business officer) Hunter (Campbell) and his team. We are disappointed, of course, that we now won't get the trilogy between Artem and Alex in the octagon, but we've moved on to other targets now. There is a huge fight coming up, so this trilogy fight will have to wait.' With the UFC no longer in the picture, Vakhitov is returning to Glory Kickboxing. His most recent contest for that promotion was a February 2023 defense of his heavyweight title against Pascal Touré. He won that fight via decision. Vakhitov earned the heavyweight belt in September with his decision win over Pereira. Pereira took the light heavyweight crown from Vakhitov in January 2021 with a split-decision win. Vakhitov faces Rico Verhoeven in the main event of Glory 100. That fight card takes place June 14 in the Netherlands. 'That's a fight I've always wanted,' Vakhitov said of Verhoven. 'I have been calling for that fight since 2017. Nobody wanted to fight Rico. They call him 'The King' because he has ruled that division for so long. But I really believed myself to be the best pound-for-pound kickboxer in Glory, and my opinion hasn't changed. Maybe the king is finally ready to meet the tsar.' LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 08: Artem Vakhitov of Russia reacts after being awarded a UFC contract ... More during Dana White's Contender Series season eight, week nine at UFC APEX on October 8, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Despite moving on from the DWCS deal, Vakhitov's manager left the door open for a UFC deal in the future. 'We had to decline signing this agreement,' Busygin said. 'It's a shame, but there are no hard feelings. We respect their position, and they respect ours. We had very pleasant negotiations with (UFC chief business officer) Hunter (Campbell) and his team. We are disappointed, of course, that we now won't get the trilogy between Artem and Alex in the octagon, but we've moved on to other targets now. There is a huge fight coming up, so this trilogy fight will have to wait.' We will have coverage of Artem Vakhitov's Glory Kickboxing return when Glory 100 takes place.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Alex Pereira rival Artem Vakhitov spurns UFC starter contract, returns to GLORY for Rico Verhoeven fight
Artem Vakhitov is heading back to the kickboxing world. The Russian striking sensation and two-time GLORY Kickboxing champion turned his attention to MMA in 2023, fighting four times from the middle of the year to the end of 2024. In his final fight, Vakhitov scored an impressive first-round knockout on the UFC's Contender Series, earning a UFC contract to further his pursuit for a multi-sport trilogy bout against former kickboxing rival Alex Pereira. However, Vakhitov revealed Tuesday on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show" that he and the promotion ultimately failed to come to terms on an agreeable deal. As a result, Vakhitov now returns to GLORY Kickboxing and is set to move up in weight to challenge heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven at GLORY 100 on June 14. 'It's kind of a big fight, which we wanted from 2017,' Vakhitov said through a translator. 'Unfortunately, we couldn't reach an agreement with UFC because they have their own protocol, but we still have good relations with them, so that's it. 'Now we're announcing a big fight against Rico Verhoeven. I think Rico doesn't need to be [explained as an opponent] because he's well known and, for sure, we wanted this fight a long time ago. For me, it's a good opportunity to become a double champion, and it was in my mind a very long time ago.' As a two-time GLORY Kickboxing light heavyweight champion, Vakhitov, 33, instantly became one of the most prominent recent names to compete on Contender Series. When the Russian transitioned to MMA, many drew immediate parallels to his old rival, former two-division UFC champion Pereira. Unlike Vakhitov, however, Pereira was signed directly to the UFC rather than being forced to make it through the promotion's feeder league. For Vakhitov, the decision to turn down his MMA future with the global leader ultimately came down to money. Yet despite the soured negotiations, Vakhitov hasn't fully closed the door on an MMA career. 'UFC always works off a standard contract after Dana White's Contender Series,' Vakhitov said. 'Unfortunately, we could not reach an agreement, or [there were] some things couldn't agree [on]. When we got an offer [from GLORY Kickboxing] and we saw the news that all the Russian fighters are coming back to GLORY, we got an offer to fight against Rico and probably the possibility to become a double champion, we agreed very easily. And for sure, for good money, why not? "[I'm] not so disappointed [about the UFC], but we are not out on it. Why not in the future? Now we are mostly focused on the upcoming fight, so it's more important for us for now. I just got to have some satisfaction from the MMA classes [during the transition] — from wrestling, from grappling, from all this stuff — but it was also a good [experience for] me [trying MMA], so we see how it's going now. "[MMA] will be dependent on offers. That's part of the job of my team, and also we will see what is happening. I'm mostly focusing on my upcoming fight." 'I do not wish to appear arrogant regarding this [UFC] contract,' Vakhitov additionally told MMA Junkie. 'I understand they have their rules, and I respect that, but I am a prizefighter. I have daughters to provide for and a short window of opportunity. It would have been a great dream to enter the UFC, but I could not justify the loss of earnings this contract would represent. And so we had to respectfully decline. But all of our dealings were pleasant, and perhaps in the future we will talk again.' Vakhitov's most recent kickboxing fight saw him end a two-year hiatus when he won a unanimous decision against France's Pascal Touré in 2023. The win followed his two-fight series of bouts with the aforementioned Pereira, whom he defeated via a majority decision in their 2021 rematch. The timing of Verhoeven vs. Vakhitov couldn't be better for kickboxing and the fighters involved. Their bout aligns with the promotion's "Last Man Standing" heavyweight tournament, which will determine the No. 1 contender to challenge the champion. Although Vakhitov is no stranger to the heavyweight division, he's expected to be at a decent size disadvantage against the reigning kingpin Verhoeven. Regardless, Vakhitov isn't expecting any issues in that department. "I was always sparring with and fighting big guys," Vakhitov said. "I even beat some fighters who were fighting with Rico. They had very close fights. It's not so big difference when [fighters] even in my weight division could deliver a punch. It doesn't matter which [weight]. So we have a good team, and it's not wrestling where you have some advantages in your weight, because when in wrestling, you are [against] bigger [opposition], it could be an issue. It will be a good and technical job [preparing for Verhoeven] with my team, so we are ready."
USA Today
25-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
DWCS winner Artem Vakhitov says UFC no longer in immediate plans after contract dispute
Artem Vakhitov captured the MMA world's attention when he won a UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series last October – in part because of his past kickboxing rivalry with Alex Pereira. More than five months later, Vakhitov (3-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has yet to compete inside the octagon. Why? According to Vakhitov and his team, the numbers have not satisfied their standards. 'I was elated when I won my fight in DWCS and got the contract,' Vakhitov told MMA Junkie in a written statement through a translator. 'Alex was ringside. We all talked afterwards, and it looked like the trilogy fight was a real possibility if I next went into the UFC and won a fight or two. '… Unfortunately, when it came time to make the UFC contract, it transpired that the UFC has very strict conditions regarding fighters who come through DWCS. 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. … My team attempted to negotiate, but the UFC rules were strict, and no changes were possible.' A typical DWCS contract contains a clause the promotion can activate, which would automatically put a selected fighter on a 20-month, four-fight deal, multiple sources told MMA Junkie. However, both Vakhitov and his manager, Andrey Busygin, indicated they've parted ways with the UFC. The UFC has not responded to a request for clarification on Vakhitov's roster status at the time of publication. UFC still in Vakhitov's future? 'I do not wish to appear arrogant regarding this contract,' Vakhitov said. 'I understand they have their rules, and I respect that, but I am a prizefighter. I have daughters to provide for and a short window of opportunity. It would have been a great dream to enter the UFC, but I could not justify the loss of earnings this contract would represent. And so we had to respectfully decline. But all of our dealings were pleasant, and perhaps in the future we will talk again.' Vakhitov, 33, is a two-time GLORY light heavyweight champion. He split two fights with Pereira. He pivoted to MMA in 2023 but injured his shoulder in his debut. He then rattled off three wins, including a DWCS victory over Islem Maraf by first-round TKO. According to Busygin, Vakhitov and his team hoped for the same deal Pereira received when he was onboarded into the UFC with the same 3-1 professional record Vakhitov has. 'The UFC position was that all fighters coming through Dana White Contender Series receive the same contract with standard terms and conditions,' Busygin told MMA Junkie in a written statement. 'Personally I felt this was unfair to Artem, given his achievements in combat sports and having the same level as Alex at the time he entered the UFC. But rules are rules. I understand.' 'This trilogy fight will have to wait' Both Vakhitov and Busygin said there are no hard feelings from their end and did not rule out dealing with the promotion in the future. 'We had to decline signing this agreement,' Busygin said. 'It's a shame, but there are no hard feelings. We respect their position, and they respect ours. We had very pleasant negotiations with (UFC chief business officer) Hunter (Campbell) and his team. We are disappointed, of course, that we now won't get the trilogy between Artem and Alex in the octagon, but we've moved on to other targets now. There is a huge fight coming up, so this trilogy fight will have to wait.' While Busygin did not specify the 'huge fight' he referenced, rumors started to bubble of a potential Vakhitov showdown vs. Rico Verhoeven at GLORY 100. The promotion announced Thursday that Verhoeven would headline the June 14 event in the Netherlands but did not say against whom. 'That's a fight I've always wanted,' Vakhitov said. 'I have been calling for that fight since 2017. Nobody wanted to fight Rico. They call him 'The King' because he has ruled that division for so long. But I really believed myself to be the best pound-for-pound kickboxer in GLORY, and my opinion hasn't changed. Maybe the king is finally ready to meet the tsar.'
