Artem Vakhitov, who last defeated Alex Pereira in kickboxing and is now helping Ciryl Gane prepare, stated in a recent interview that Pereira will lose because he gained too much mass. Jiri Prochazka responded to accusations from Carlos Ulberg by saying he doesn't want to hear complaints about being fake from a stripper. Carlos Prates and his daughter did a face-off with Jack Della Maddalena, with Prates clarifying to his daughter who the bad guy is. Islam Makhachev confirmed he has started preparation for his next fight. Hamzat Chimaev responded to Sean Strickland's trash talk with awareness, comparing Strickland to a circus clown and noting that when his friends approached him, Strickland backed down claiming he was just promoting the fight. Colby Covington complained that UFC shows no interest in him, doesn't promote him, and isn't including him in important events like the White House fight, though he's willing to give his final competitive years to RAF.
Several storylines from across the MMA world converged this week, covering everything from bold predictions about Alex Pereira to trash talk feuds and fighter camp updates.
Artem Vakhitov, the kickboxer who most recently defeated Alex Pereira in their kickboxing contest and is currently working as a training partner helping Ciryl Gane prepare, offered a candid assessment of the light heavyweight champion's future. In a recent interview, Vakhitov stated that Pereira will lose because he has gained too much muscle mass, a claim rooted in firsthand knowledge of how Pereira moves and performs.
Ranked second in the light heavyweight division, Jiri Prochazka fired back at Carlos Ulberg following accusations from the New Zealander. The Czech fighter, 33 years old and carrying a 32-6-1 record out of Jetsaam Gym Brno, did not hold back, telling Ulberg he has no interest in hearing complaints about being fake from someone he described as a stripper. Prochazka is one of the more explosive strikers in the division, averaging 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy.
Islam Makhachev, the welterweight champion holding a 28-1-0 record and ranked at the top of the pound-for-pound list, confirmed publicly that he has begun preparation for his next fight. The 34-year-old Russian is a dominant grappler who averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands 58 percent of his significant strikes.
Middleweight champion Sean Strickland, 35, with a 31-7-0 record, drew a response from Hamzat Chimaev after directing trash talk his way. Chimaev compared Strickland to a circus clown and noted that when associates approached Strickland directly, he backed off and claimed he was simply promoting a fight.
Why it matters
- Vakhitov's comments carry credibility given his personal history of defeating Pereira, adding weight to concerns about the champion's physical evolution
- The Prochazka-Ulberg back-and-forth signals a rivalry gaining heat in a stacked light heavyweight division
- Makhachev confirming camp has started raises expectations that a welterweight title defense announcement is approaching
- Colby Covington separately voiced frustration that the UFC is not promoting him or including him in marquee events, though he stated he remains willing to contribute his remaining competitive years to the organization
