Newcomer from Russia to the UFC, ex-champion of the Glory promotion Artem Vakhitov, in an interview with , said that if the fight of the champion of the light heavyweight division of the UFC Alexa Pereira and a competitor from Russia Magomed Ankalaeva will take place, he will support the Brazilian fighter.
Vakhitov signed a contract with the UFC after winning the Dana White Contender Series on October 8. Currently, the UFC light heavyweight champion is Vakhitov’s former kickboxing rival Pereira. Ankalaev defeated Austrian fighter of Serbian origin Alexander Rakic at the UFC 308 tournament; the Russian takes first place in the light heavyweight division rankings.
— If now Pereira loses to Ankalaev (the main contender for the UFC champion belt. – ), don’t you think that the big intrigue of your transition to MMA will disappear?
– Firstly, this fight still needs to happen. It’s not a fact that it will happen this year and it’s not even a fact that it will happen early next year. Secondly, I don’t depend directly on it. Yes, of course, we are heading towards the Pereira fight, and I always wish Alex victory in all upcoming fights. I want him to wait for me, we met in the octagon. But in general, I have my own path, I am determined to follow it.
– “I always wish Alex victory…” In other words, in the event of a fight between Pereira and Ankalaev, you will support…
“I understand that it is a difficult question, but, of course, I am always more for Pereira. This is my, one might say, brother in arms, we met in the ring, but at the same time my team maintains good relations with his team. And we never met Magomed Ankalaev, I don’t particularly like his style… At the same time, I understand this with a probability of 60% Magomed, but I worry more about Pereira. He, like me, is a drummer and I look forward to meeting again,” Vakhitov told .
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Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
