Ciryl Gane brings in kickboxer Artem Vakhitov for Pereira camp

Ciryl Gane has brought Russian kickboxer Artem Vakhitov into his training camp ahead of his heavyweight showdown with UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira at UFC White House on June 14, 2026.

Gane, nicknamed "Bon Gamin," enters the fight ranked second in the heavyweight division with a 14-2 record. The 36-year-old Frenchman, who trains out of MMA Factory, stands six-foot-four with an 81-inch reach and is one of the sport's most technically gifted strikers, averaging 5.29 significant strikes per minute at 61 percent accuracy. He also mixes in a modest grappling threat, averaging 0.68 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Pereira, known as "Poatan," is the reigning light heavyweight champion and carries a 13-4 record into the bout. The 38-year-old Brazilian trains out of Teixeira MMA and Fitness and stands six-foot-four with a 79-inch reach. He averages 5.16 significant strikes per minute at 62 percent accuracy, making him one of the most feared punchers in combat sports.

Vakhitov's presence in Gane's camp is no accident. The 35-year-old orthodox Russian stands six-foot-one with a 75-inch reach and holds a remarkable 85 percent striking accuracy rate across his 3-1 MMA record. More importantly, Vakhitov is the last man to defeat Pereira in kickboxing, having handed him a loss in 2021. His firsthand knowledge of Pereira's striking tendencies and potential openings gives Gane's team a rare and direct line of intelligence on their opponent.

Why it matters

• Vakhitov's 2021 kickboxing victory over Pereira makes him uniquely qualified to identify holes in Pereira's striking game
• Gane's technical, high-volume striking style sets up a potential chess match against Pereira's knockout power
• A win would require Gane to navigate one of the most dangerous strikers the sport has seen across multiple combat disciplines
• The camp addition signals Gane and his team are leaving no stone unturned in their tactical preparation