The last man to defeat Alex Pereira in kickboxing is following him to the UFC.
Artem Vakhitov scored a first-round TKO victory over Islem Masraf in the featured fight on the ninth episode of the Dana White Contender Series. The 33-year-old Russian was one of four winners who earned contracts.
Dana White Contender Series Highlights: Artem Vakhitov’s KO Victory
A hard right hand sent Masraf reeling, and some follow-up shots forced the referee to intervene to stop the fight.
Here is a look at the finish:
Who is Artem Vakhitov and What’s His History With Alex Pereira?
Vakhitov went 1-1 against the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion during their days in kickboxing, and that was a big piece of the hype for this episode. How big was the hype for Vakhitov’s appearance on the show?
Fresh off his exhilarating fourth-round KO win over Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 on Saturday night in Salt Lake City, Pereira was in attendance to watch his old foe compete.
Alex Pereira Helped Convince Dana White to Sign Artem Vakhitov
While Vakhitov was awarded the contract for his win, he didn’t look like a world-beater. He seemed a bit tentative at moments while the fight lasted, but ultimately displayed the power that made him an elite-level kickboxer.
Vakhitov’s case for the UFC roster wasn’t the most open-and-shut case of all the fighters who competed on Tuesday night at the Apex in Las Vegas.
When White reveals who’s in and out during the show segment, he admitted he brought Pereira backstage to help decide whether to offer Vakhitov a contract.
According to White, Pereira said his former kickboxing rival deserved a chance to fight in the UFC.
Artem Vakhitov Has Had An Impressive Combat Sports Career
After Tuesday night’s performance, some fans may be underwhelmed with Vakhitov, especially after watching how devastating Pereira has been during his brief but dominant UFC career.
It’s important to remember that Vakhitov has only had four MMA fights, and he’s finished his opponent in all three victories. In his only loss, Vakhitov was forced to retire in the first round because of an injury.
He’s also never been stopped in his entire career as a combat sports athlete in kickboxing, Muay Thai, or MMA. It will be interesting to see who he is matched against in his first fight as a full-fledged member of the UFC’s roster.
Here is a look at all of the results from the episode.
Who Won a Contract on Dana White Contender Series?
- Artem Vakhitov defeats Islem Masraf via TKO at 4:25 of Round 1 – Contract Winner
- Kody Steele defeats Chasen Blair via TKO at 4:07 of Round 2 – Contract Winner
- Mario Pinto defeats Lucas Camacho via knockout at 1:43 of Round 1 – Contract Winner
- Islam Dulatov defeats Vanilto Antunes via knockout at 2:44 of Round 1 * Contract Winner
- Sean Gauci defeats Anthony Drilich via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
