{"id":723075,"date":"2026-06-08T13:02:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T13:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/723075\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T13:02:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T13:02:12","slug":"morning-report-ciryl-gane-enlists-help-of-alex-pereiras-kickboxing-rival-for-ufc-white-house-poatan-responds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/723075\/","title":{"rendered":"Morning Report | Ciryl Gane enlists help of Alex Pereira\u2019s kickboxing rival for UFC White House, Poatan responds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ciryl Gane is leaving no stone unturned for Alex Pereira.<\/p>\n

This Sunday, Gane and Pereira face off for the interim UFC heavyweight title in the co-main event of UFC White House. And in preparation for the fight, Gane enlisted the help of Pereira\u2019s kickboxing rival, Artem Vakhitov, to help get ready.<\/p>\n

Vakhitov fought Pereira for the Glory kickboxing light heavyweight title twice, losing a split decision in their first encounter, before winning a majority decision in the rematch. That fight was the last of Pereira\u2019s kickboxing career, and he believes he knows the recipe to make Pereira have a bad night.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone\u2019s scared, but you don\u2019t need to be scared. Just pressure him first,\u201d Vakhitov said on UFC Countdown.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat makes Alex Pereira dangerous is his stone hands. He has knocked out many people in kickboxing and MMA. Minimal technique, but very effective strikes that land. His 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 of him. That should not be done. You need to take initiative yourself. Go forward and be aggressive. Then he starts to get lost.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pereira is one of the premier knockout artists in MMA, using that skillset to win titles at middleweight and light heavyweight. But he has also had some of his most difficult fights with opposing kickboxers, like Gane. Plus, Vakhitov notes, Pereira is moving up in weight yet again, giving \u201cBon Gamin\u201d a big edge.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdesanya, a classic kickboxer, he exposed the weakness and landed the shot,\u201d Vakhitov said. \u201cCiryl is also a kickboxer. He has very good movement, speed, timing, and feel. It will be a very interesting fight.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen that Alex has gained weight. I don\u2019t think that will work in his favor because Ciryl feels comfortable at this weight. The fight will end early. Ciryl will finish the job and take the title.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pereira, meanwhile, isn\u2019t concerned with Vakhitov helping Gane. The former two-division UFC champion responded to the revelation that Gane had his former rival helping him, noting that a lot has changed over the five years since they last fought.<\/p>\n

\u201cCiryl\u2019s training with Vakhitov? It doesn\u2019t make a difference,\u201d Pereira said. \u201cKickboxing and MMA are different sports. And I\u2019m not the same fighter I was when I fought Vakhitov. I\u2019ve evolved a lot. Maybe he thinks the guy can give him some useful information, but he\u2019s the one who\u2019s going to be in there with me.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Artem Vakhitov is an honest guy, the most important thing he\u2019ll say is, \u2018Be careful with this guy. He\u2019s f*cking tough.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

UFC White House takes place Sunday, June 14, and is headlined by a lightweight title unification bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.<\/p>\n

Lawsuit. Last-minute lawsuit seeks to put kibosh on \u2018corrupt scheme\u2019<\/a> UFC White House event.<\/p>\n

Trash talk. Alex Pereira \u2018never saw\u2019 anything like<\/a> Josh Hokit\u2019s trash talk, praises Ilia Topuria for UFC White House press conference.<\/p>\n

Loss. Belal Muhammad releases first statement<\/a> after third straight loss at UFC Vegas 118.<\/p>\n

Gambling. Arman Tsarukyan places $1M bet<\/a> on Justin Gaethje to beat Ilia Topuria at UFC White House.<\/p>\n

Dumb. Dana White responds to Eddie Hearn\u2019s comments about Tom Aspinall: \u2018You sound stupid again.\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Blessed. Max Holloway is ready to verbally spar with Conor McGregor ahead of UFC 329: \u2018I love s***-talking, too\u2019.<\/a><\/p>\n

UFC White House Countdown.<\/p>\n

UFC Vegas 118 highlights.<\/p>\n

Sean O\u2019Malley fight prep.<\/p>\n

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE<\/p>\n

Let the media push begin.<\/p>\n

White House Claw complete.<\/p>\n

Sean Strickland doesn\u2019t appear to be having problems with the UFC.<\/p>\n

Islam wrestling with Olympic 165-pound champ.<\/p>\n

\"Jed<\/a>\"MMA<\/p>\n

White House Mailbag! Get your questions in!<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Alrighty y’all, we are officially on the Road to the White House.<\/p>\n

Got questions? Fire them in here and I’ll do my best to answer them, either in column or in the responses. <\/p>\n

Thanks! Love y’all.<\/p>\n

\"aRec 0CommentsThin Stroke Comment Icon BubbleReplyRead 22 replies<\/p>\n

Well, we did it. It\u2019s been a long road, but UFC White House fight week is upon us. Six more sleeps and the biggest card of the year, perhaps the biggest card ever, will be here. Enjoy it.<\/p>\n

If you find something you\u2019d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKLee<\/a> of @JedKMeshew<\/a> on Twitter and let us know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Twitter<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, Twitch<\/a>, and like us on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n