Former kickboxing foe: Alex Pereira’s heavyweight move 'a mistake'

Artem Vakhitov said Ciryl Gane is better suited for heavyweight ahead of Gane's interim title fight on June 14, underscoring questions around Alex Pereira's move up.Vakhitov, who trained with Gane, now favors Ciryl Gane to defeat Alex Pereira for the interim heavyweight title. He argued Alex Pereira is not a natural heavyweight, while Gane is.Speaking to Standmeup, he cited Gane's timing, distance control, stamina, and striking, calling the preparation "on a different level," while noting mindset remains a focus. He estimated the matchup at 70–30 in Gane's favor.Pereira (13–3) previously captured UFC middleweight and light heavyweight titles before moving up. Vakhitov lost his Glory title to Pereira in 2021, reclaimed it in their rematch, then went 3–1 in MMA, accepted a UFC contract in 2024, and chose to remain with Glory Kickboxing.