Michael Bisping thinks it’s just a matter of time before new UFC signee Artem Vakhitov is challenging Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title.
Vakhitov earned a contract with the UFC following a big first-round knockout against Islem Masraf on Tuesday’s episode of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Before making the move to MMA last year, Vakhitov was a former GLORY Kickboxing champion and just so happens to be the last man to have beaten Pereira in the sport before ‘Poatan’ moved onto mixed martial arts.
If the story sounds familiar, don’t be surprised. Pereira fought two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya under the GLORY banner twice and brutally KO’d the ‘Stylebender’ in their second encounter. Adesanya moved on to MMA months later.
With history seemingly repeating itself, Bisping thinks it’s just a matter of time before Vakhitov works his way up the ranks and challenges Pereira for UFC gold.
“ I think he could do it, I think he’s got the potential” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “He’s got to work on the takedown defense. he’s got to get used to the little gloves. he’s got to get used to people with offbeat rhythms because MMA strikers are a bit different to polished kickboxers but if he can do that.
“If he can do the work and apply himself, I think he could have a very bright future and we could see that fight at some point down the line.”
Bisping sees the UFC pushing Artem Vakhitov the same way they pushed alex pereira
Like they did with Pereira, Bisping expects the UFC to push Vakhitov fast. Poatan’ infamously earned his first title opportunity after just three fights inside the Octagon.
If Vakhitov can string together a few impressive wins, it’s safe to assume that the promotion will try and wedge him into the title picture and capitalize on the built-in story between the two heavy hitters.
“It’s going to be interesting to see who they match him up with first,” Bisping continued. “But if he goes on, let’s say, a four-or five-fight streak, where he goes out and he knocks people out, then of course there’s a big fight on our hands, and I’m sure Alex Pereira the whole time is going to be willing him on because he wants to get him back. He wants to make money.”
