Pegged as a slight underdog at the UFC White House event, Ciryl Gane is looking to improve his chances and obtain a “strategic edge” over Alex Pereira this weekend.
In their efforts to regain (interim) UFC gold, Gane’s team has enlisted the services of a former opponent and potential “Poatan Killer” to help him during training camp. As the recent UFC Freedom 250 Countdown show revealed, Gane has been training with decorated Glory champ Artem Vakhitov, the last man to beat Pereira in kickboxing.
Vakhitov
faced off with Alex Pereira twice in 2021, just before “Poatan” moved to the UFC and became a crossover star. The pair had two closely contested bouts, with Pereira winning a split decision in the first meeting, and Vakhitov regaining his Glory title by majority decision in the immediate rematch.
After spending 10 rounds and two fights with Pereira, Vakhitov is now sharing details from his experience and giving Gane some tips ahead of their UFC clash.
“What makes Alex Pereira dangerous is his stone hands. He has knocked many people out in kickboxing and MMA. Minimal technique, but very effective strikes that land. His weakness is his openness,” Vakhitov said.
“He has a very strong attack, but his defense suffers. Many opponents lose mentally in the fight, because they enter already afraid of him. That should not be done. You should take initiative yourself. Go forward, and be aggressive, then he starts to get lost.
“He’s keeping his chin very high,” Vakhitov told Gane as he broke down his previous bouts with Pereira. “Everyone’s scared. You don’t need to be scared.”
Vakhitov also reacted to Pereira bulking up to heavyweight, and predicted a quick stoppage defeat.
“Adesanya, a classic kickboxer, exposed the weakness and landed the shot. Ciryl is also a kickboxer. He has very good movement, speed, timing and feel,” Vakhitov said.
“We’ve seen that Alex has gained weight. I don’t think that will work in his favor, because Ciryl is comfortable at this weight. The fight will end early. Ciryl will finish the job.”
Vakhitov, who has won seven championship bouts at Glory, is also 3-1 in MMA, with a TKO victory at the Contender Series in 2024. He was reportedly offered a UFC contract after Pereira pushed for his signing, but the decorated kickboxer seems to have ditched the UFC for a more lucrative deal with Glory.
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