Alex Pereira on former kickboxing rival helping Ciryl Gane: ‘It doesn’t make a difference’

Alex Pereira has dismissed concerns that Ciryl Gane's training partnership with kickboxing legend Artem Vakhitov will provide a significant advantage in their interim heavyweight title fight at UFC White House: Freedom 250 on Sunday, June 14.

Vakhitov holds a noteworthy place in Pereira's combat sports history: the 35-year-old Russian defeated Pereira by majority decision at Glory 78 in September 2021 to reclaim the Glory light heavyweight belt. That marked Pereira's last loss in kickboxing before his final transition to mixed martial arts. The pair had split their competitive matchups, with Pereira winning their first encounter eight months earlier.

Despite Vakhitov's relevant experience, Pereira argued that the difference between kickboxing and MMA fundamentally limits the value of such coaching. Speaking during UFC's "Countdown" show at the start of fight week, Pereira noted that he has evolved considerably since his 2021 losses to Vakhitov and is no longer the same fighter. He acknowledged that Gane may benefit from some technical insights, but emphasized that Vakhitov cannot replicate the challenges Pereira now presents in the cage.

Pereira did offer what he considers Vakhitov's most honest contribution to Gane's preparation: a warning. "The most important thing he'll say is, 'be careful with this guy, he's fucking tough,'" Pereira said. The co-main event matchup headlines a seven-fight card at the historic White House venue in Washington, D.C., immediately preceding the Topuria-Gaethje lightweight title unification main event.