- Alex Pereira’s former kickboxing nemesis Artem Vakhitov broke down how to beat him
- Vakhitov is the last fighter to defeat “Poatan” in kickboxing during their rivalry at GLORY
The last fighter to beat Alex Pereira in kickboxing pointed out a few hints at how to defeat the Brazilian.
Only a striker can
After swearing to expose Pereira’s weakness, former GLORY kickboxing champion Artem Vakhitov has now revealed how to possibly beat “Poatan.” Speaking to YouTuber Adam Zubayraev, Vakhitov only an elite striker can get the job done and he needs to pay attention to Pereira’s poor standup defense.
“As I see it as a basic striker, only a basic striker can. Not a basic MMA fighter, wrestler or grappler. Because all of Alex’s work is focused on striking, kickboxing and Muay Thai. Someone who knows how to work properly in the standup and knows where to defend themselves,” Vakhitov said.
“I see mistakes, that Pereira has almost no defense. You even saw the first fight with Blachowicz. Everyone knows that there is no defense [from Pereira] in the first round, but the attack prevails and compensates [his weaknesses]. We all saw his second fight with Adesanya… [Alex] had his hands at chest level and his head is [open],” he continued.
Artem Vakhitov, the last man to beat Alex Pereira in kickboxing, explains how to defeat Alex:
"Only a basic striker can [beat Pereira]. Not a basic MMA fighter, wrestler or grappler.
I see mistakes, that Pereira has almost no defense… everyone knows that there is no defense… pic.twitter.com/bU7R6myJax
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 3, 2024
Vakhitov is coming
The Russian kickboxer appears to be serious about ending Pereira’s dominance in MMA. In fact, Vakhitov is now in contract with Dana White’s Contender Series and will make his debut next month.
Vakhitov faced Pereira twice back in their time with GLORY. The Brazilian got the better of him in their first match and Vakhitov secure the victory in the rematch, making him the last fighter to ever beat “Poatan” in kickboxing.
As it stands, Pereira is set to defend his light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree at UFC 307.
