Overview
- Alex Pereira is sharpening for Ciryl Gane by trading shots with 6'7" ranked UFC heavyweight Tallison Teixeira in sparring, with video showing drills built around reach and footwork.
- Pereira has said putting on size has not been easy for his body, so his camp is prioritizing time at the higher weight to smooth the move to the division.
- Ciryl Gane has brought in Artem Vakhitov, a former GLORY kickboxing champion who beat Pereira in 2022, as part of movement-heavy work seen in recent camp footage.
- Top contender Alexander Volkov said he would view Pereira as an easier matchup than a Gane rematch, warning that extra mass can drain cardio and change how punches land at heavyweight.
- The bout is for the interim UFC heavyweight title, and Volkov’s comments plus both camps’ sparring choices are shaping how fans and fighters size up the striking-heavy matchup.