Dana White says Alex Pereira convinced him to sign Artem Vakhitov

LAS VEGAS – It was Artem Vakhitov’s former kickboxing rival who talked Dana White into signing him to the UFC.

Vakhitov (3-1) earned a UFC contract Tuesday when he scored a first-round TKO of Islem Masraf (3-1) at Dana White’s Contender Collection 75 from the UFC Apex. White admits he was initially hesitant to signal former two-time Glory mild heavyweight champion Vakhitov, the final man to defeat Alex Pereira in kickboxing, however “Poatan” satisfied him.

“That’s why I’m so late. I’ve been again there speaking to Alex this complete time,” White informed reporters, together with MMA Junkie, throughout a Dana White’s Contender Collection 75 post-fight information convention. “He stated, ‘Clearly, a bit of extra clinching than you’d count on.’ You’ll count on the opposite man to clinch with him, not him clinching. However he stated, ‘That is what I believe. I believe he’s proficient sufficient. I believe he deserves to be right here. He’s had, clearly, a ton of fights in his profession.’

“Which is what I believed, too, stepping into. He stated, ‘I believe that the Contender Collection, irrespective of the place you’ve fought or what you’ve finished, places a distinct kind of strain on you, and also you won’t carry out the way in which you usually would.’ He thinks that this can be a great quantity of strain. He stated, ‘All I do know is I’m glad I by no means needed to undergo the Contender Collection.’”

Vakhitov and Pereira cut up their two kickboxing appearances. Pereira received the primary combat by cut up determination and Vakhitov avenged his loss of their rematch by majority determination.

White acknowledges that many fighters have observed the success that former kickboxers Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira have had within the UFC, and wish to comply with swimsuit.

“What I truly assume, like we had been saying earlier, it’s fascinating how these guys that got here out of this complete circuit with Israel and Alex, together with them, are doing so effectively within the UFC,” White stated. “It’s fascinating, so yeah, why not? I believe it’s all of it. Clearly, these guys fought loopy fights that I’m certain they didn’t make any cash. Joanna Jedrzejczyk and lots of others come over right here, and it’s completely life altering for them.”

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for DWCS 75.