Overview
- Ciryl Gane is training with former GLORY champion Artem Vakhitov, who posted sparring footage on Instagram as Gane prepares to face Alex Pereira on June 14 at the UFC White House.
- Vakhitov beat Pereira by majority decision at Glory 78 in September 2021, making him a logical partner for scouting Pereira’s tendencies.
- The Russian striker earned a UFC deal on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024 but did not finalize terms and returned to kickboxing.
- The June bout is for the interim heavyweight title because champion Tom Aspinall is recovering from injury, setting up a later unification fight.
- Gane, a former interim titleholder with losses to Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones and a recent no contest with Aspinall, is leaning into a striking-focused camp for a matchup widely viewed as a stand-up battle.