Artem Vakhitov, the last fighter 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. Jiri Prochazka responded to accusations from Ulberg by refusing to listen to complaints about being fake from a stripper. Carlos Prates and his daughter did a face-off with Jack Maddalena, with Carlos clarifying to his daughter who the bad guy was. Islam Makhachev confirmed he has started preparation for his next fight. When asked about Sean Strickland's recent comments, Khamzat Chimaev showed restraint, comparing Strickland to a circus clown and noting that Strickland's friends told him Sean privately admits he's just promoting fights.
Three separate storylines are making rounds in MMA media this week, touching on the light heavyweight, middleweight, and lightweight divisions.
Artem Vakhitov, the kickboxer who holds the distinction of being the last fighter to defeat Alex Pereira in kickboxing competition, is now working in the corner of Ciryl Gane. In a recent interview, Vakhitov offered a blunt assessment of Pereira's future, arguing that the Brazilian champion has added too much muscle mass and that it will cost him in his next outing.
At light heavyweight, number-two ranked Jiri Prochazka found himself in a public back-and-forth with Ко Ulberg after Ulberg reportedly made accusations of inauthenticity toward the Czech contender. Prochazka, who carries a 32-6-1 record and fights out of Jetsaam Gym Brno, was characteristically blunt in his response, declining to take seriously what he called complaints from a stripper. The six-foot-three, 33-year-old is one of the most aggressive strikers in the division, landing 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy.
Brazilian welterweight Carlos Prates added a lighter moment to the week's news cycle, staging a face-off with Jack Maddalena alongside his young daughter, then taking a moment to explain to her who the opponent was.
Islam Makhachev, the 28-1 welterweight champion fighting out of Eagles MMA, confirmed publicly that he has begun preparation for his next fight. The 34-year-old Russian southpaw is among the most dangerous grapplers in the sport, averaging 3.2 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, Khamzat Chimaev was asked about recent public comments made by middleweight champion Sean Strickland, who holds a 31-7 record and fights out of Xtreme Couture. Chimaev showed relative restraint, likening Strickland to a circus clown and adding that people close to Strickland have told him the champion privately acknowledges his provocative statements are simply promotional in nature.
