Following the conclusion of a great weekend of kickboxing at the Saitama Super Arena, fans can once more rejoin as one of the world's top light heavyweights returns to GLORY. Former champion Artem Vakhitov is set to make his comeback—this time in the heavyweight division—where he will challenge reigning champion Rico Verhoeven at GLORY 100 on June 14.
As first reported on The Ariel Helwani Show, Vakhitov announced that he has declined the UFC contract he earned last October with a TKO win over Islem Masraf on Dana White's Contender Series. Instead, he has chosen to return to the sport where he made his name, a huge undertaking against Verhoeven in his heavyweight debut.
In June 2022, four months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, GLORY cut all its Russian fighters, citing logistical challenges. This forced top names like Vakhitov, Dmitry Menshikov, and Aleksei Ulianov to seek opportunities elsewhere. With the ban now lifted, Russian fighters can once again compete in the promotion.
The UFC brass likely envisioned him as a future rival to two-sport champion Alex Pereira, given their one win apiece. However, rather than pursuing MMA further, Vakhitov has opted to return to his true calling, calling it his "love". While many expected him to reclaim his light heavyweight throne, he is instead taking on the ultimate test in his comeback fight.
