Artem Vakhitov, who is helping Ciryl Gane prepare and was the last person to defeat Alex Pereira in kickboxing, stated in a recent interview that Pereira will lose because he has gained too much mass. Additionally, Jiri Prochazka responded to accusations from Alexander Ulberg, dismissing criticism from "a stripper." Islam Makhachev confirmed he has begun preparation for his next fight. Hamzat Chimaev commented on Sean Strickland's remarks, comparing the situation to watching a clown at a circus and noting that Strickland privately tells people he's just promoting fights.
Artem Vakhitov, the kickboxing veteran who holds the distinction of being the last fighter to beat Alex Pereira in a kickboxing bout, has gone on record predicting that Pereira will suffer defeat inside the octagon — attributing the expected decline to the champion's significant weight gain. Vakhitov made the remarks in a recent interview, adding context to his role helping Ciryl Gane prepare for an upcoming fight.
The comments arrive as several other prominent names in the sport generated headlines of their own. Jiri Prochazka, the Czech light heavyweight ranked second in the division at 33 years old with a professional record of 32-6-1, responded sharply to criticism leveled at him by Alexander Ulberg, dismissing his detractor as "a stripper" and making clear he has little regard for the accusations. Prochazka, who stands six-foot-three with an 80-inch reach and lands a remarkable 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy, rarely shies away from confrontation outside the cage.
Middleweight champion Sean Strickland, who carries a 31-7-0 record and lands 6.04 significant strikes per minute, was also drawn into the news cycle after Hamzat Chimaev weighed in on his public remarks. Chimaev likened the experience of following Strickland's commentary to watching a clown perform at a circus, and claimed Strickland privately acknowledges to people that the inflammatory talk is simply fight promotion.
Meanwhile, welterweight champion Islam Makhachev confirmed he has begun preparations for his next contest. The 34-year-old Russian, who holds a 28-1-0 record and leads the pound-for-pound rankings, averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and converts submission attempts at a rate of 1.1 per 15 minutes, making him one of the most complete grapplers in the sport today.
Why it matters
- Vakhitov's critique carries weight given his personal history of defeating Pereira, lending credibility to the mass-gain concern heading into Pereira's next title defense
- Prochazka's public feud with Ulberg keeps the light heavyweight division noisy at the top of the rankings
- Makhachev confirming fight preparation signals the welterweight title picture is beginning to take shape
