Former Alex Pereira Rival Doubts Extra Weight Helps Against Ciryl Gane
Artem Vakhitov says he does not see added bulk as a clear edge for Alex Pereira in a possible fight with Ciryl Gane, and his view fits a real debate around Pereira’s move toward heavyweight. Pereira is a former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion, while Gane is an established heavyweight contender whose game has been built around movement, timing, and high-level distance control for years.
Former Opponent Warns Alex Pereira’s Extra Weight May Not Matter Against Ciryl Gane
Vakhitov, the former GLORY light heavyweight champion who split two high-profile kickboxing fights with Pereira, argued that extra size may not help Pereira in the areas people expect, especially if the goal is to make him harder to wrestle or stronger in clinch exchanges. In an interview with StandEmUp, he framed the issue as a tradeoff, saying Pereira’s striking may not gain much from the added mass because he originally climbed from 185 pounds to reach the upper divisions.
“I don’t think it’s a real advantage on Alex’s side. He’s a natural heavyweight now, but you have to understand that he came up from 185. If he really feels that gaining more weight will make wrestling easier for him, I think that could be a mistake, because it’s not a real advantage for his striking power or for his striking in general.”
Vakhitov is not speaking as a distant observer. He is a decorated GLORY titleholder with a long run at light heavyweight and direct experience against Pereira at championship level, which gives his technical opinion more value than a generic hot take. His separate comments on training with Gane also point in the same direction, praising Gane’s timing, distance management, stamina, and kickboxing base after seeing him up close.
“I came in a little suspicious about his style and his preparation, but when I got there, I realized that guy is on a totally different level. When I saw his team, how he was preparing, and how they did everything so well, I understood. His timing, his sense of distance, his stamina, his pure striking and kickboxing — as I said, he has everything.”
Gane presents a different kind of heavyweight problem than a slower, power-first opponent. Gane owns UFC wins over Derrick Lewis, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Alexander Volkov, Tai Tuivasa, and Serghei Spivac, with losses to Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones, plus a no contest against Tom Aspinall in October 2025. Those fights suggest that pure striking exchanges with Gane are rarely simple, even for dangerous finishers.
Alex Pereira is currently scheduled to face Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title at the UFC White House event, also referred to in reports as UFC Freedom 250, on June 14 at the White House in Washington, D.C., with the winner expected to move on to a title shot against Tom Aspinall.
Pereira’s case for the move is easy to understand. UFC.com notes that he became champion at middleweight and later at light heavyweight. His kickboxing background is also elite holding major world titles. Still, the heavyweight jump changes the equation. Vakhitov’s point is less about Pereira lacking skill and more about whether added weight helps enough to offset the advantages a natural heavyweight like Gane already has in comfort, durability, and long-term adaptation to the division’s pace and physical demands.
Taken together, Vakhitov’s message is simple: Pereira’s power and championship history make him dangerous in any division, but against Gane, adding weight alone may not solve the real problem.
