Artem Vakhitov gives Ciryl Gane good chance of beating Alex Pereira

After training with Ciryl Gane, Artem Vakhitov likes his chances against Alex Pereira.

Vakhitov, the last man to defeat Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in kickboxing, has been helping Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) prep for his interim heavyweight title bout against "Poatan" in the UFC Freedom 250 co-main event June 14 at the White House in Washington, D.C.

Pereira and Vakhitov split their two appearances under the GLORY Kickboxing banner, with Vakhitov winning the rematch by majority decision at GLORY 78 in September 2021. Vakhitov spent time training with Gane in France, and was pleasantly surprised by the former interim champion's skillset.

"Before I came (to train with) Ciryl Gane, I was a little suspicious regarding his style and his preparations," Vakhitov said in an interview with Standemup. "But when I came there, I really felt the guy is totally on a different level. When I saw his team, how he was preparing, and how they did everything well. His timing, his feeling of distance, his stamina, his real striking kickboxing – he has everything. Now, first of all, he has to work on his psychological and mental things."

The time spent training with Gane has left former GLORY kickboxing champion Vakhitov siding with the Frenchman.

"Now, for sure I changed my mind," Vakhitov continued. "I think it's 70-30, and he really can get it."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Artem Vakhitov weighs in on Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane odds: '70-30'