Poatan's former rival exposes UFC's rigidity in contract and announces return to GLORY for historic fight

Artem Vakhitov was the Glory Kickboxing champion. Photo: UFC.

Last man to defeat Alex Poatán At GLORY, Artem Vakhitov announced his return to kickboxing to challenge Rico Verhoeven, the organization’s current heavyweight titleholder. The bout, scheduled for GLORY 100 on June 14, marks not only the fighter’s return to the sport after a brief stint in MMA, but also one of the most anticipated fights of the year, amid the return of Russian athletes to the promotion.

Two years after leaving kickboxing to pursue a career in MMA, Artem Vakhitov decided to end his transition early. The Russian, who had signed a contract with the UFC after participating in the Contender Series, rejected the opportunity to continue in the octagon and chose to rekindle his rivalry with Rico Verhoeven, considered one of the biggest names in the organization.

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“According to UFC protocols, they could not offer me more than the standard contract that all fighters who advance through this program are offered. My team tried to negotiate, but the organization’s rules were strict and no changes were possible,” said Artem.

The road back had geopolitical obstacles. In 2022, the organization suspended the participation of Russians after the invasion of Ukraine, a measure that was only revoked in 2024. The reopening coincided with Artem's interest in resuming his original career, despite the UFC's proposal, which only proposed the base salary for fighters who sign via Contender Series, without any special treatment based on their history.

Rivalry with Alex Poatan

Alex Poatán and Artem Vakhitov in a kickboxing duel (Photo: Disclosure/GLORY)

The rivalry with the Brazilian, now a UFC star, is a separate chapter. The two faced each other twice at Glory: the first time, in January 2021, Poatan won by split decision and took the title.

In the second, in September of the same year, the Russian equalized the duel with a controversial victory, ending his opponent's time in the sport.

Artem Vakhitov x Rico Verhoeven

The highly anticipated fight between Artem Vakhitov and Rico Verhoeven promises to be one of the most anticipated clashes in kickboxing history. A two-time former GLORY champion, the Russian is moving up a weight class to face the dominant heavyweight champion. Anticipation surrounding the fight is high, having been planned for years, dating back to 2017, when Vakhitov expressed interest in facing the champion.