UFC's Alex Pereira fires back at challenge from kickboxing champion

Artem Vakhitov is the last man to beat UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira (11-2) in a non-UFC prize fight.

So when the 33-year-old Russian recently laid out a challenge for Pereira to have their trilogy fight in the UFC, the reigning 205-pound champion felt compelled to respond to his former nemesis.

“Everybody knows that when [Glory] gave you the win [in 2021], it’s because Glory knew that that would be my last fight in the organization and they didn’t want me to leave with the belt,” Pereira said on Instagram, via MMA Fighting. “For you to expose yourself like this, it seems that you’re a bit lost and almost certainly doesn’t have a manager. That’s what I think. You should send a message to [my manager] because I think he can help you.”

Pereira and Vakhitov fought twice previously under the Glory Kickboxing banner in 2021, both times for the Glory light heavyweight championship.

Pereira, who was 33-7 as a pro kickboxer, won the first encounter by split decision and Vakhitov, who had a 23-6 record in pro kickboxing and Muay Thai, won the second via majority decision.