Exclusive Q&A: Artem Vakhitov issues warning to Glory 100 opponent Rico Verhoeven

Artem Vakhitov (22-6, 8 KO) will be making his return to kickboxing at Glory 100 when he takes on Rico Verhoeven (65-10, 21 KO), champion for 4,000 days. 

He lost to Alex Pereira before winning the rematch, and the former Glory light heavyweight champion remains the last fighter to beat Poatan in kickboxing.

DAZN News spoke to Vakhitov on the eve of the fight of his latest challenge.

DAZN News: How is the training camp?

Artem Vakhitov: Everything’s fine. Ready 100%. Just finalizing training sessions. It’s like a final step, final part of our preparation.

DN: When you saw Dmitry Bivol’s support, how did it feel for you?

AV: We’ve been in touch for a long time and we have very good relations. Also, I support him. Sometimes we text. For me, it’s a great pleasure to get his opinion. He shared it publicly with us all. For me, it means a lot.

DN: You stopped kickboxing. You were an MMA fighter. Alex Pereira recommended you to the UFC. You had a contract, but you said no. Why did you turn it down?

AV: It was all about the conditions. Unfortunately, we could not reach an agreement. Kickboxing is my favorite sport. Going back to kickboxing is a great pleasure and a great opportunity for me. You know this fight is against Rico, for sure, it’s a very big fight, a very exciting fight, and a big chance for me - a big opportunity.

DN: Your last kickboxing fight was in light heavyweight. Your last MMA fight was in light heavyweight. Was it your choice to move up to heavyweight or was it an offer from Glory?

AV: I didn’t have a special plan to move up to heavyweight. Mostly, it wasn’t planned. I was always sparring with heavier guys, something like 120 kilograms. I think it’s a good advantage against Rico because there will be more movement. For sure, it’s better. This is not wrestling, where you have to focus on weight and it can be very different. You have advantages when you’re heavier than your opponent.

DN: You’re going to face Rico, a Glory and heavyweight legend. What do you think of him?

AV: For sure, Rico is a great sportsman, a great fighter. He met only the top guys and faced only the top guys. But now we have a plan, for sure, that we can make happen. Now I’m mostly focused on my victory, on my win, and for sure, we can achieve it. First of all, I have a big desire to win, and we’ll do everything for it.

DN: Any prediction?

AV: I’m not really a big fan of predictions. It’s not my favorite thing. What should we do? We need to do our job first, and fully - from the heart, from the soul. That’s the main point.

DN: Rico fought legends and is still undefeated. How do you plan to beat him?

AV: For sure, he didn’t face guys like me, at my level. People underestimate me, so that’s more motivation for me, for sure. As I already said, I’m ready to fight fully from my heart, from my soul, and do everything for the win. That makes me even more motivated.

DN: Rico (6 ft 5 in) is taller than you (6 ft 1 in). He beat giants like Jamal Ben Saddik, Badr Hari… How are you prepared for this rise in weight?

AV: In my amateur career, I faced a lot of guys who were taller than me. I’m used to fighting these guys. For sure, I know how to find the weak points, the weaknesses in opponents taller than me. As I already said, this is not wrestling. The weight isn’t so important here, as I mentioned. I’ve prepared very well - physically and mentally. My sparring partners are big guys with whom we’re finalizing our preparation. So everything is going well and we’ll get it done. You know what? I think it will be a more difficult fight for Rico because he’s used to fighting against big guys. For example, when he fought against Gökhan Saki, he didn’t feel so comfortable. Saki used very different angles, punches, and kicks. I think this will be a more difficult and uncomfortable fight for him.

DN: What did you learn from MMA?

AV: You know, MMA was a new direction for me, and it was very interesting. Mostly, I used my striking in the stand-up. I didn’t feel many difficulties when sparring with MMA guys in striking. I trained in many places, many camps like Miami, Dagestan, and others, or MMA guys came to our gym. When I used my striking skills, I felt very comfortable. I didn’t feel anything wrong, like being hit hard or something like that. It was great. I focused mostly on my striking and on defending against wrestling. As for wrestling, for sure, I gained more physical strength. I became more powerful. And I think that’s a very good advantage that I gained from learning wrestling in MMA.

DN: Your last kickboxing fight was two years ago. Why are you a better fighter now? It’s the fight of your life.

AV: For sure, I’ve become better and better. Now I’m 34 years old, which is a top age for heavyweight, for light heavyweight. For my career, it’s a good age. I’ve become physically stronger and smarter. Year by year, I’ve improved. I really feel it.

DN: Did you want a trilogy against Poatan in kickboxing?

AV: Yeah, I think it would be very interesting if this fight could happen. For sure, I would take the fight. I’d agree and take this opportunity because, even now, the arguments are still going on in my social media, in his social media - his fans, my fans - about who is the best. It looks like something unfinished - unfinished business. Alex is doing well in striking in MMA. So it would be a good opportunity to get this fight because he’s still in a striking style. These two fights, as I said, were very close and controversial. Now I’m sure - I’m pretty sure - I can finish that fight before the end. More easily than before.