Ciryl Gane is turning to a familiar Alex Pereira rival as he prepares for his June 14 UFC title fight in Washington, DC, bringing in Artem Vakhitov to help him get ready.
Gane has enlisted the Russian kickboxer for his camp ahead of the heavyweight showdown. Vakhitov and Pereira fought twice in Glory, with each man winning once. Vakhitov defeated Pereira for the Glory light heavyweight title at Glory 78 in Rotterdam in late 2021, avenging a previous loss at Glory 77.
Vakhitov has been open about what he sees in Pereira’s game. “What makes Alex Pereira dangerous is his stone hands. He has knocked out many people in kickboxing and MMA. 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. You need to take initiative yourself. Go forward and be aggressive. Then he starts to get lost.”
Pereira, who is listed at 242 pounds for the heavyweight title fight, has downplayed the impact of Gane’s move. “Ciryl Gane is training with Vakhitov? It doesn’t make a difference,” Pereira said, adding, “Kickboxing and MMA are different sports. And I’m not the same fighter I was when I fought Vakhitov. I’ve evolved a lot.”
Vakhitov previously appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series but did not come to terms on a UFC contract and returned to kickboxing.
