In a surprising twist, UFC champ Alex Pereira showed up to Dana White’s Contender Series and convinced White to sign rival Artem Vakhitov.

Alex Pereira and Artem Vakhitov may be fierce rivals when it comes to combat sports, but there’s nothing but respect between them outside the ring. On Tuesday night, Vakhitov scored a first-round knockout on Contender Series but UFC CEO Dana White was on the fence about whether or not to sign him to a contract.