Exclusive: Artem Vakhitov ready to take Rico Verhoeven down at Glory 100

DAZN News spoke to the 34-year-old ahead of the fight, which he believes could be Verhoeven's first loss.

"For sure, he didn’t face guys like me, at my level," Vakhitov said. "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."

Vakhitov says the move up to heavyweight is one that he has preparing for for a long time. Despite being four inches shorter than 6 ft 5 in Verhoeven, Vakhitov remains determined and motivated by the fight of his life.

"In my amateur career, I faced a lot of guys who were taller than me," he said. "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."

Vakhitov feels his height could pose a new challenge for Rico Verhoeven, who is used to taking on larger fighters. 

"My sparring partners are big guys with whom we’re finalizing our preparation," he said. "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."