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 his upcoming fight because he has gained too much muscle mass. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka responded to accusations from Alexander Ulberg by stating he won't listen to complaints about being fake from a stripper. Islam Makhachev confirmed he has started training camp for his next bout. Khamzat Chimaev addressed Sean Strickland's trash talk by comparing it to expecting a circus clown to anger you, noting that Strickland's friends approached him and he immediately backed down saying he was just promoting the fight. Colby Covington complained that the UFC shows no interest in him, doesn't promote him, and didn't include him at important events like the White House fight, though he's ready to give his final competitive years to RAF if needed.
Several notable storylines emerged this week from the MMA media circuit, spanning fighter predictions, inter-fighter feuds, and frustrations over promotional treatment.
Artem Vakhitov — the last man to hand Alex Pereira a kickboxing defeat — went on record in a recent interview predicting that Pereira will lose at UFC 361, arguing that the light heavyweight champion has packed on too much muscle mass and that it will work against him when fight night arrives. Vakhitov is currently serving as part of Ciryl Gane's preparation camp, lending his comments some degree of insider context, though they remain his personal opinion rather than any official development.
Jiri Prochazka, ranked second in the light heavyweight division at 33 years old and carrying a 32-6-1 record, fired back at Alexander Ulberg after Ulberg accused him of being fake. The Czech fighter, who stands six-foot-three with an 80-inch reach and averages 5.69 significant strikes per minute, dismissed Ulberg's criticism with a sharp remark, saying he had no interest in taking complaints seriously from a stripper.
Islam Makhachev, the welterweight champion with a 28-1-0 record, confirmed he has begun training camp ahead of his next scheduled bout. The 34-year-old Russian southpaw is one of the sport's most dominant grapplers, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside a 58 percent striking accuracy.
Khamzat Chimaev weighed in on Sean Strickland's ongoing trash talk, comparing getting worked up over it to expecting a circus clown to make you angry. Chimaev added that Strickland's own associates later approached him privately, at which point Strickland walked back his comments and framed them as pure fight promotion. Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion at 31-7-0, has built a reputation for provocative public statements.
Why it matters
- Vakhitov's mass criticism, coming from Pereira's only kickboxing conqueror, adds a credible if unverified wrinkle to the UFC 361 buildup
- The Prochazka-Ulberg exchange keeps the light heavyweight division's secondary rivalries simmering behind the title picture
- Makhachev's confirmed camp signals a welterweight title defense is taking shape
- Colby Covington's public complaints about UFC neglect raise questions about his long-term promotional standing, with the fighter suggesting he may redirect his final competitive years toward other opportunities
