Alex Pereira may find himself facing a rival from his kickboxing past soon. But is Artem Vakhitov truly ready for the challenge of transitioning to the UFC? After securing a first-round TKO at the Dana White Contender Series, Vakhitov’s UFC contract was sealed, but not all fans were impressed. His performance, although enough to catch the UFC boss’s attention, left many wondering if he has what it takes to face his former rival, Alex Pereira, in an MMA showdown.

For those unfamiliar, Vakhitov and Pereira have a history. The two faced off twice in Glory with Vakhitov claiming the last win before ‘Poatan’ made the switch from the ring to the cage. With the score between them standing at 1-1, the Russian light heavyweight has been aiming for another clash against Pereira.

Now, with Vakhitov officially part of the UFC roster, fans are already speculating on a possible rematch between the two. Vakhitov, after his DWCS win, made it clear he wants a shot at Pereira in the UFC. A fight with history, drama, and intrigue. But do the fans feel the same? Here’s a look at what the netizens had to say.

Fans are not impressed with “sloppy” Artem Vakhitov as Alex Pereira predicted to win their trilogy in MMA

Alex Pereira’s meteoric ascent to stardom has led the fans to dub him as being “The UFC”. What’s remarkable is the fact that ‘Poatan’ made an appearance to watch his rival after just coming off a brutal 4-round war with Khalil Rountree Jr at UFC 307.

“Alex is the UFC at this point.. Bro just fought and is doing promo already”

Others were impressed that ‘Poatan’ would be down to show up at the DWCS to “support” his former rival. But does Vakhitov feel the same? Ahead of this crucial fight on which his UFC contract hinged, Vakhitov had shared with MMA Fighting, “I didn’t ask for any attention from him but he already knows he lost to me two times, it’s worrying him a little bit.”

“Actually cool that alex went tonight. Almost to support and give additional eyes on his former rival entering the UFC. Who will definitely have to go through the gauntlet prior to fighting Alex.”

However, others pointed out that Vakhitov is still not ready for the challenges of transitioning to MMA. Their prediction? A surprising claim is that Pereira will be able to shoot for a takedown and submit the Russian in the very first round. A kickboxer vs kickboxer matchup that ends with a submission, what do you think about this claim by the fans?

“Alex will double leg and submit this dude in the first round”

Another fan added fuel to the fire, commenting on Vakhitov’s perceived lack of refinement in his technique inside the cage. However, in his conversation with MMA Fighting, Vakhitov had revealed, “From the beginning, I was starting to work on defense from takedowns, about things to help me defend from guys on the ground.”

“Jesus that man is sloppy. Alex’s nonexistent judo and bjj can still beat bro”

With a professional kickboxing record of 23-6 and holding the Glory light heavyweight title twice, there’s no doubt about Artem Vakhitov’s striking skills. The 33-year-old is also 3-1 in MMA with his latest win at DWCS, but the fans are firmly on the side of Pereira. After all, becoming a two-division UFC champion in just 11 bouts is a feat that will be hard to replicate for anyone, even considering their kickboxing accolades!

“Sensational striker.. but there will be no referee that will give him a gifted win in the ufc . Poatan is on a different level now”

In conclusion, as Artem Vakhitov steps into the UFC spotlight, the reactions indicate that the fans remain skeptical about his readiness for a clash with Alex Pereira. While their shared history in kickboxing certainly adds intrigue to this matchup, the MMA world is a different arena entirely. Vakhitov may boast impressive striking credentials, but Pereira’s dominance in the UFC, coupled with his rapid evolution, has left many wondering if the Russian can truly hang with the best. Do you think Artem Vakhitov will be able to prevail if a trilogy were to happen or has ‘Poatan’ evolved too far for anyone to measure up to him? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!