Ciryl Gane has brought in Artem Vakhitov to his training camp in preparation for UFC White House. Vakhitov is notable as the last person to defeat Alex Pereira in kickboxing, having beaten him in 2021. This strategic addition to Gane's camp suggests he is seeking expertise from someone with direct experience against Pereira's striking style. The move indicates Gane is taking a tactical approach to his preparation. Vakhitov's kickboxing background and specific knowledge of Pereira make him a valuable training partner.
Ciryl Gane has added Russian kickboxing standout Artem Vakhitov to his training camp as he prepares for UFC White House on June 14, 2026, with the move widely seen as a calculated effort to dissect the striking game of light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
Gane, known by his nickname Bon Gamin, enters the camp ranked second in the heavyweight division with a professional MMA record of 14-2-0. The 36-year-old Frenchman out of MMA Factory stands six-foot-four with an 81-inch reach and is one of the more technically refined strikers in the sport, 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.
Vakhitov brings a very specific credential to the White House camp: he is the last fighter to hand Pereira a defeat in kickboxing, doing so in 2021. The 35-year-old Russian, who fights out of the Kuzbass Muay Thai Federation, carries a 3-1-0 MMA record and stands six-foot-one with a 75-inch reach. His striking efficiency is notable, landing at a remarkable 85 percent accuracy and posting 3.88 significant strikes per minute, though his game is built purely on the feet with no recorded takedowns or submission attempts.
Pereira, meanwhile, enters as the reigning light heavyweight champion at 38 years old. The Brazilian, fighting out of Teixeira MMA and Fitness, holds a 13-4-0 record and is 193 cm tall with a 79-inch reach, averaging 5.16 significant strikes landed per minute.
Why it matters
- Vakhitov has firsthand knowledge of Pereira's striking patterns and tendencies from their 2021 kickboxing contest
- Gane's technical striking style sets up a high-level stand-up exchange against a champion who averages over five significant strikes per minute
- Adding a specialist training partner signals Gane is prioritizing precise, experience-based preparation over a general camp approach
Sunday, June 14, 2026
