Ciryl Gane gets crucial insight from fighter who beat Alex Pereira ahead of UFC White House event
Though maybe not as polished in the sport as others, Alex Pereira's ability on the feet has proved to be second to none during his reign in the UFC. As time passes and he continues to sharpen his tools, the task of defeating the Brazilian is getting tougher, but Ciryl Gane believes he has the secret weapon to do just that.
'Bon Gamin' hopes the fourth time's the charm in his undisputed UFC title pursuit, but must first bypass a true combat sports legend who is also hoping to make history at the UFC White House event this weekend, with the world expected to be watching. Despite some backlash over the years, Gane remains one of the UFC's best heavyweights, having only suffered defeats to Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou.
When the cage door closes, Ciryl Gane is capable of beating whichever top-level fighter is standing across the octagon from him. To ensure another successful night under the lights, Gane has enlisted the help of former GLORY light heavyweight champion Artem Vakhitov.
"Alex Pereira's 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. [Israel] Adesanya, a classic kickboxer, exposed the weakness and landed the shot. Ciryl is also a kickboxer."
Artem Vakhitov and Alex Pereira's rivalry in the GLORY kickboxing ring was legendary. The pair share a win apiece before transitioning to MMA, with rumors of a potential trilogy under the UFC banner brewing.
Pereira is just one win away from being the first fighter in UFC history to capture gold in three separate weight classes. The thought of a heavyweight 'Poatan' is nightmare-inducing, but Vakhitov believes it will work against him, making him an easy opponent for Ciryl Gane.
"We've seen that Alex has gained weight. I don't think that will work in his favor... The fight will end early. Ciryl will finish the job and take the title."
🥊 Ciryl Gane is training with Artem Vakhitov, the man who beat Alex Pereira in kickboxing. 👀
— MMA Pros Pick (@MMA_PROS_PICK_) June 7, 2026
🗣️Artem: "Alex Pereira's weakness is his openness. He has a very strong attack, but his defense suffers.
Many opponents lose mentally in the fight, because they enter already afraid… pic.twitter.com/oRhwonqt2Y
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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 1:00 PM.