GLORY middleweight and interim light heavyweight champion – Alex Pereira (31-6) said he won’t be going anywhere and he’ll wait for the injured light heavyweight champion Artem Vakhitov (21-5).
#GLORY56 Denver @GLORY_WS Light Heavyweight Title Headline Bout:
Artem Vakhitov (205.4 lb / 93.2 kg) vs. Danyo Ilunga (207 lb / 93.9 kg) pic.twitter.com/b9mlzpFLam— Artem Vakhitov (@ArtemVakhitov) August 10, 2018
The Brazilian secured a championship fight with Russia’s top kickboxer this past weekend when he defeated Donegi Abena at GLORY 68 in Miami, US. However, such a fight will probably take place in 2020, because Vakhitov is recovering from a hand injury that he sustained at GLORY 66 when he demolished Donegi Abena. Yep, the same one.
The 28-year-old Russian made a statement prior to the Pereira – Abena fight, saying that the interim “silver belt” was of no interest to him but that he would be ready to meet the winner when his hand is healed.
“Oh, it was his hand? I thought it was his nail. He broke a nail three times so we couldn’t fight. But now it’s his hand? OK, we can wait for the hand to heal,” Alex Pereira responded in a post-fight interview backstage at GLORY 68.
“My next fight depends on the GLORY organization. I have both belts and whatever they want me to do I will do,” the South American concluded.