Former WBC champion in the cruiserweight division Grigory Drozd shared in an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net the details about the future career of Russian kickboxer Artem Vakhitov.
Vakhitov is not planning to return to the UFC. If he didn’t make that move when he had the chance, he definitely won't do it after his return to Glory. He signed a big contract with Glory. They really wanted him back, and he returned. Their only condition was for Artem to box in the heavyweight division against Rico Verhoeven. Artem did that. We know how the fight went; it didn't go well for him, primarily due to injuries – during the match, he suffered a left bicep rupture and also injured his hand.
“Injuries have been following Artem, but the goal is to recover, heal all the wounds and injuries, and return to the category where he was champion for seven years. To come back and start crushing all the active fighters to reclaim the light heavyweight title. Artem is still young, and he has the strength and desire. We hope he returns to his weight class and makes some noise by the end of the year," Drozd said.
Remember, on June 15 in Rotterdam (Netherlands), in the main event of Glory 100, Artem Vakhitov lost to Rico Verhoeven by unanimous decision in a fight for the heavyweight title. The Russian fighter has a record of 22 wins (eight by knockout) and seven losses, while Verhoeven's record stands at 66-10.
