Artem Vakhitov, who is helping Ciryl Gane prepare and is the last fighter to defeat Alex Pereira in kickboxing, stated in a recent interview that Pereira will lose because he has gained too much muscle mass. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka responded to accusations from Alex Ulberg by dismissing complaints from a "stripper." Islam Makhachev confirmed he has begun training camp for his next fight. Hamzat Chimaev responded to Sean Strickland's trash talk by saying he finds it amusing rather than angering, noting Strickland tells his friends he's just promoting the fight. Colby Covington expressed frustration that UFC shows no interest in promoting him or placing him on major events, and indicated he's willing to spend his final competitive years fighting in RAF.
Artem Vakhitov, the last man to defeat Alex Pereira in kickboxing and a current training partner of Ciryl Gane, has publicly predicted that Pereira will fall short in their upcoming fight, arguing that the light heavyweight champion has added too much muscle mass and that it will work against him.
Vakhitov's comments carry some weight given his history with Pereira. Having beaten the Brazilian in kickboxing competition, he is now inside Gane's camp and offering a firsthand assessment of how the Frenchman is preparing. His reasoning centers on Pereira's physical transformation, suggesting the additional bulk will be a liability rather than an asset.
Elsewhere in a busy week of fighter media, second-ranked light heavyweight Jiri Prochazka of the Czech Republic responded to criticism from Alex Ulberg by dismissing the remarks as coming from a "stripper," showing little concern for the exchange. Prochazka, who carries a 32-6-1 record and lands an imposing 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy, rarely lacks confidence in verbal sparring.
Welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, 34, confirmed he has started training camp ahead of his next fight. The Russian holds a 28-1 record and remains the top pound-for-pound fighter in the division, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes with a submission attempt rate of 1.1, making him dangerous in multiple phases.
Middleweight champion Sean Strickland became a topic of discussion after Hamzat Chimaev addressed Strickland's trash talk, saying he finds it more amusing than irritating and that Strickland privately acknowledges to friends he is simply building the fight. Strickland, 35, holds a 31-7 record and pressures opponents with 6.04 significant strikes per minute.
Finally, Colby Covington expressed frustration over what he described as a lack of UFC promotional support, stating the organization shows no interest in featuring him on major cards. Covington indicated he is open to spending his remaining competitive years fighting under the RAF banner.
