Artem Vakhitov, the last man to defeat Alex Pereira in kickboxing and currently helping Ciryl Gane prepare, stated in a recent interview that Pereira will lose because he has gained too much muscle mass. This comes ahead of Gane's heavyweight title fight. Vakhitov is providing insights from his experience beating Pereira in Glory kickboxing. The post also includes several other MMA news items: Jiri Prohazka responded to accusations from Karl Ulfberg by dismissing him as a stripper, Carlos Prates did a face-off with his daughter and Madalena, Islam Makhachev confirmed he has started camp for his next fight, and Khamzat Chimaev commented on Sean Strickland's trash talk, saying his friends approached Sean who immediately backed down and said he was just promoting the fight.
Artem Vakhitov, the last fighter to hand Alex Pereira a defeat in kickboxing, has predicted that Ciryl Gane will beat the current UFC light heavyweight champion, arguing that Pereira's dramatic increase in muscle mass will work against him.
Vakhitov, a 35-year-old Russian striker from the Kuzbass Muay Thai Federation, is currently serving as a training partner and consultant for Gane's heavyweight title camp. Drawing on his firsthand experience of defeating Pereira under Glory kickboxing rules, Vakhitov stated in a recent interview that Pereira has packed on too much muscle, which he believes will diminish Pereira's effectiveness come fight night. Vakhitov carries a 3-1 MMA record and posts a remarkable 85 percent striking accuracy, underlining his credentials as a technical stand-up specialist.
Why it matters
- Vakhitov's perspective carries weight as the only man on record to have beaten Pereira, giving Gane's camp a rare analytical edge.
- His claim that excess muscle mass will hurt Pereira adds a specific tactical dimension to what is already a high-stakes heavyweight title fight.
- Vakhitov's presence in Gane's camp suggests the challenger's team is studying Pereira's kickboxing history in detail.
Elsewhere in the news, Jiri Prohazka publicly dismissed Karl Ulfberg's recent accusations, reportedly referring to him as a stripper. Islam Makhachev, the 34-year-old Russian who holds the welterweight title and sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings with a 28-1 record, confirmed he has begun training camp for his next fight. Carlos Prates was filmed doing a lighthearted face-off with his daughter and Madalena. And Khamzat Chimaev addressed trash talk from middleweight champion Sean Strickland, claiming that when his associates confronted Strickland directly, the 31-7 American backed off and acknowledged he was simply promoting the bout.
