"It was all about the conditions," Vakhitov said. "Unfortunately, we could not reach an agreement.

"Kickboxing is my favorite sport. Going back to kickboxing is a great pleasure and a great opportunity for me. You know this fight is against Rico [Verhoeven], for sure, it’s a very big fight, a very exciting fight, and a big chance for me - a big opportunity."

On June 14, he will face Glory heavyweight champion Verhoeven. The fight comes two years on from his brief MMA experience. 

"You know, MMA was a new direction for me, and it was very interesting," Vakhitov said. "Mostly, I used my striking in the stand-up. I didn’t feel many difficulties when sparring with MMA guys in striking.

"I trained in many places, many camps like Miami, Dagestan, and others, or MMA guys came to our gym. When I used my striking skills, I felt very comfortable. I didn’t feel anything wrong, like being hit hard or something like that. It was great."

Vakhitov has come back stronger than ever and is determined to dethrone the Dutch champion, who has been unbeaten for 4,000 days. His MMA experience could come in handy.

"I focused mostly on my striking and on defending against wrestling [while in MMA]," he said. "As for wrestling, for sure, I gained more physical strength. I became more powerful.

"And I think that’s a very good advantage that I gained from learning wrestling in MMA."