Alex Pereira insists Artem Vakhitov’s presence in Ciryl Gane’s camp will not change a thing ahead of their interim heavyweight title clash.
Pereira is set to face Gane in the co-main event of UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday, with the bout scheduled to take place at the White House in Washington. Vakhitov, the last man to defeat Pereira in kickboxing, is helping Gane prepare for the matchup.
"Ciryl Gane's training with Vakhitov? It doesn't make a difference," Pereira said. "Kickboxing and MMA are different sports, and I'm not the same fighter I was when I fought Vakhitov. I've evolved a lot. Maybe he thinks the guy can give him some useful information, but he's the one who's going to be in there with me. If Artem Vakhitov is an honest guy, the most important thing he'll say is, 'Be careful with this guy. He's f*cking tough.'"
Vakhitov, however, has offered a detailed breakdown of Pereira’s style and why he believes Gane can capitalize. "What makes Alex Pereira dangerous is his stone hands. He has knocked many people out in kickboxing and MMA. (He has) minimal technique, but very effective strikes that land. His weakness is his openness. He has a very strong attack, but his defense suffers. Many opponents lose mentally in the fight because they enter already afraid of him. That should not be done."
Looking ahead to UFC Freedom 250, Vakhitov added: "It will be a very interesting fight. We've seen that Alex gained weight. I don't think that will work in his favor because Ciryl feels comfortable at this weight. The fight will end early. Ciryl will finish the job and take the title."
