Artem Vakhitov is heading back to the kickboxing world.
The Russian striking sensation and two-time GLORY Kickboxing champion turned his attention to MMA in 2023, fighting four times from the middle of the year to the end of 2024. In his final fight, Vakhitov scored an impressive first-round knockout on the UFC's Contender Series, earning a UFC contract to further his pursuit for a multi-sport trilogy bout against former kickboxing rival Alex Pereira.
However, Vakhitov revealed Tuesday on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show" that he and the promotion ultimately failed to come to terms on an agreeable deal.