Glory 78 Preview: Alex Pereira vs. Artem Vakhitov

Alex Pereira will defend his Glory light heavyweight championship when he rematches Artem Vakhitov in the Glory 78 co-headliner on Saturday at the Ahoy Rotterdam in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Pereira laid claim to a split decision over Vakhitov in January, as he unified the title at Glory 77. The Brazilian was promoted from interim to undisputed champion, but many cried foul due to the contentious nature of the decision—a fact which led to the rematch being booked. Their first encounter was incredibly close, and fans needed to see the score settled in more definitive fashion.

Glory 78 “Badr vs. Wrzosek” is exclusively available on pay-per-view and can only be purchased online at www.gloryfights.com. You can purchase and stream the pay-per-view for €19.99, £17.99 or US$24.99 from anywhere in the world.

Pereira (32-6, 11-3 Glory) is one of the best pound-for-pound kickboxers in the world. Flashy, confident and downright entertaining, he packs plenty of power into his long frame. Not many have been able to stand with him. Pereira fought well in his first fight with Vakhitov. However, towards the end of their encounter, he began to fade slightly against the forward-trekking Russian. For Pereira to keep his belt, he will need to negate the forward movement of his counterpart. He will have to gain the respect of Vakhitov, who walked through his best punches in their first bout. Pereira will also likely want to dial down the flashiness if he wants to avoid another close decision. All too often, he was caught by an Vakhitov overhand or cross that could have been avoided by paying more attention to the basics.

Vakhitov (21-6, 10-2 Glory) will not want grovel at Pereira’s power too much. While a healthy respect will be necessary, he needs to force the champion into mistakes and then capitalize on them. Vakhitov’s durability is off the charts, but Pereira possesses the kind of power that can put away anyone on the planet. Much like in the first fight, Vakhitov will want to keep his hands up. Still, some adjustments need to be made if he hopes to become champion again. Early on in their Jan. 30 confrontation, Vakhitov attacked the legs of Pereira, who is longer and has more range. Going to the legs will reduce the Brazilian’s power and mobility. Pereira relies on head movement, so leg kicks figure to play into the challenger’s advantage. More body work could open up the cardio gap for Vakhitov. Pereira faded in the first fight, and the Russian will undoubtedly want to exploit that perceived weakness and reap the benefits in the later rounds. However, punching to the body can be difficult and sometimes leave one open to be countered—something on which Pereira will surely attempt to capitalize. The body kick would be optimal for Vakhitov, providing a little more distance between him and the dynamite in Pereira’s hands.

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