Artem Vakhitov is putting his support firmly behind Ciryl Gane ahead of Gane's interim heavyweight title bout against Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250.
Vakhitov has been helping Gane prepare in France for the co-main event clash, which is scheduled for June 14 at the White House in Washington, D.C. The former GLORY kickboxing champion is also the last man to defeat Pereira in kickboxing, winning their rematch by majority decision at GLORY 78 in September 2021 after the pair split two bouts under the GLORY banner.
"Before I came (to train with) Ciryl Gane, I was a little suspicious regarding his style and his preparations," Vakhitov said. "But when I came there, I really felt the guy is totally on a different level. When I saw his team, how he was preparing, and how they did everything well. His timing, his feeling of distance, his stamina, his real striking kickboxing – he has everything. Now, first of all, he has to work on his psychological and mental things."
"Now, for sure I changed my mind," Vakhitov added. "I think it's 70-30, and he really can get it."
Gane enters UFC Freedom 250 as a former interim heavyweight champion, while Pereira brings a history with Vakhitov from their GLORY kickboxing days into a high-stakes showdown under the UFC banner.
