Artem Vakhitov, the last person to defeat Alex Pereira in kickboxing and currently helping Ciryl Gane with training camp, claims Pereira will lose because he has gained too much muscle mass for the heavyweight division. Jiri Prochazka responded to accusations of being fake from Alex Ulberg by dismissing the claims from a "stripper," referencing Ulberg's past. Carlos Prates did a faceoff with his daughter and Jack Della Maddalena, clarifying to her who the bad guy is. Islam Makhachev confirmed he has begun training camp for his next fight. Khamzat Chimaev showed maturity when asked about Sean Strickland's trash talk, saying he's amused rather than angry because "when you go to the circus, do you get mad at the clown?" Chimaev noted that Strickland tells his friends privately that he's just promoting fights. Colby Covington complained that UFC shows no interest in promoting him or featuring him at important events like fights at the White House, and said he's ready to give his final competitive years to RAF if needed.
Artem Vakhitov, the last fighter to defeat Alex Pereira in kickboxing, has fired a pointed warning ahead of Pereira's upcoming clash with Ciryl Gane, claiming the light heavyweight champion will struggle at heavyweight because he has packed on too much muscle mass. Vakhitov is currently assisting Gane in training camp and used his platform to suggest the added size will work against Pereira rather than for him.
Elsewhere, Czech contender Jiri Prochazka addressed accusations of being fake from Alex Ulberg by dismissing them with a sharp jab at Ulberg's past, calling him a "stripper" and refusing to take the criticism seriously. Prochazka, ranked second in the light heavyweight division at 33 years old, carries a 32-6-1 record and lands an eye-catching 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy. The six-foot-three Czech fighter out of Jetsaam Gym Brno has long been one of the division's most dynamic strikers.
Welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, 34, confirmed he has begun preparing for his next title defense. The Russian southpaw holds a 28-1 record and leads the pound-for-pound rankings, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes while shooting at 58 percent striking accuracy.
Khamzat Chimaev offered a measured response to Sean Strickland's trash talk, saying he finds it amusing rather than aggravating, comparing the situation to watching a clown at the circus. Chimaev added that Strickland privately admits to his own circle that the theatrics are purely promotional. Strickland, the current middleweight champion at 31-7-0, is well known for his outspoken persona and lands 6.04 significant strikes per minute across his UFC career.
Carlos Prates brought some levity to fight week by staging a faceoff with his daughter alongside Jack Della Maddalena, making clear to her which corner was the villain.
Colby Covington voiced frustration over what he sees as a lack of UFC promotional support, claiming he is being overlooked for high-profile events and stating he would consider taking his career to Riyadh Season if the situation does not change.
