Artem Vakhitov, the last person to defeat Alex Pereira in kickboxing and currently helping Ciryl Gane prepare, stated in a recent interview that Pereira will lose his upcoming fight because he has gained too much muscle mass. In other news, Jiri Prochazka responded to accusations from Aleskandar Rakic by calling him a stripper. Carlos Prates did a face-off with his daughter against Vicente Luque. Islam Makhachev confirmed he has begun preparation for his next bout. Khamzat Chimaev responded to Sean Strickland's trash talk by comparing him to a circus clown and noting Strickland apologizes in person. Colby Covington complained that the UFC shows no interest in promoting him or featuring him at major events and said he's willing to spend his final competitive years fighting for RAF if needed.
Artem Vakhitov, the only fighter to have beaten Alex Pereira in kickboxing, has publicly predicted that Pereira will fall short in his upcoming MMA contest, citing what he believes is an overabundance of added muscle mass on the Brazilian's frame. Vakhitov, who is currently part of Ciryl Gane's training camp, shared the opinion in a recent interview, arguing that the extra bulk will work against Pereira rather than for him.
The news cycle has been busy on other fronts. Czech light heavyweight Jiri Prochazka, ranked second in the division at 33 years old with a professional record of 32-6-1, fired back at Aleksandar Rakic after Rakic leveled accusations against him, responding by calling his rival a stripper. The six-foot-three orthodox striker is one of the most active pressers in the weight class, averaging 5.69 significant strikes per minute with a 55 percent accuracy rate.
Middleweight champion Sean Strickland, carrying a 31-7-0 record at 35 years of age, also found himself in a verbal exchange this week. Khamzat Chimaev responded to Strickland's trash talk by comparing the American to a circus clown and pointing out that Strickland reportedly apologizes when the two meet face to face. Strickland, who lands 6.04 significant strikes per minute and fights out of Xtreme Couture, has never shied away from confrontational exchanges.
Welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, 28-1-0 and ranked first pound-for-pound, confirmed he has already begun preparing for his next fight. The 34-year-old Russian southpaw is one of the sport's elite grapplers, averaging 3.2 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Vakhitov's critique carries weight given he is the last man to beat Pereira in combat sports
- Prochazka's public spat with Rakic keeps the light heavyweight division's secondary contender picture unsettled
- Makhachev opening a training camp signals his next welterweight title defense could be announced soon
- Colby Covington's comments that the UFC is not promoting him and that he is open to competing for RAF suggest his future with the promotion is increasingly uncertain
