A ‘Master of Sports’ in Muay Thai with an up-close and personal experience of the inner workings of the training camp of one half of the most eagerly awaited fights of the UFC Freedom 250 card has made a bold call ahead of Ciryl Gane‘s bout with Alex Pereira on the 14th of June.
Artem Vakhitov is a man who needs no introduction from those with knowledge of the landscape. The light heavyweight is a kickboxing powerhouse who has been active since 2009 and has already fought against one of the co-main eventers on one of the biggest nights in UFC history, specifically Pereira, on two occasions (one win each).
Knowing all about that invaluable knowledge the Russian possesses, Vakhitov was enlisted by Gane’s camp to aid with his training ahead of the fight for the UFC interim heavyweight championship.
Pereira is viewed by many as the clear favourite for the vacant belt in fight six of seven on the South Lawn of the White House, a sentiment that Vakhitov shared prior to joining forces with the man fighting out of Vincenness. But, as he has spent more time with the 13-2 fighter, who was at the heart of a controversial no-contest bout with Tom Aspinall that was forced to be called off after he caught the Englishman with his fingers in their Abu Dhabi clash, that opinion has changed.
Footage of Alex Pereira Sparring UFC Heavyweight Ahead of Debut vs Ciryl Gane on White House Card
Alex Pereira is set for his heavyweight debut next month at the White House, and he’s drafted in some existing big men to spar with.
“Well, to be honest, before we came to Paris, I had some doubts. Now, when we worked with Ciryl, I saw how everything is organised in the team, how the process is going, what form he’s in, and I can say that my opinion has changed a bit now, in the opposite direction,” he said.
“I can say that it is a 70/30 fight [in favour of Gane]. Of course, Ciryl has an advantage. The main thing is that he still has everything: speed, endurance, thinking, classic kickboxing, the feeling of distance.
“The only thing that remains is his mentality. If he goes out being angry and aggressive in this fight, then he will succeed.”
Pereira’s accumulation of weight prior to the June contest is another reason why Vakhitov believes the Brazilian will fall short. That body mass, according to the Russian, is likely to take away from the most important arsenal at his disposal, his striking ability. Gane, by comparison, has had to make no such efforts in contrast, an aspect that Vakhitov feels could make all the difference.
Newcastle have just received a £70m bid for one of their players, according to journalist David Ornstein.
According to The Athletic’s Ornstein, Newcastle have received a bid worth over £70m for Anthony Gordon from Barcelona.
With UFC Freedom 250 now less than three weeks away, company CEO Dana White has revealed the one fight he wanted on the card that “slipped” away.
Preparations are already underway for the landmark event on the south lawn of the White House, which takes place on the 14th of June. The card has been timed to celebrate both the USA’s 250th anniversary and the 80th birthday of President Donald Trump.
The President has been heavily involved in putting the card together for the event, even playing a key role in adding an extra fight to the show. Freedom 250 is set to be one of the most stacked UFC shows in recent memory, with two title fights set to take place.
Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira will compete for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship, before Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje meet for the undisputed UFC Lightweight Championship.
In addition, high-profile fighters such as Sean O’Malley, Michael Chandler and Derrick Lewis will also step into the Octagon during the most culturally significant card in UFC history.
With a line-up packed with current and former champions, the promotion has delivered a top-tier card for the show, but Dana has admitted he would have loved to have added a third title fight to the bill.
In a recent interview with Time Magazine, White revealed that he had hoped to host a women’s title bout on the card. The fight in question would have seen Mackenzie Dern defending her UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship against Weili Zhang.
The bout would have seen Zhang handed the chance to regain the belt that she vacated when she moved up to flyweight to challenge titleholder Valentina Shevchenko.
However, the UFC were unsuccessful in booking Dern vs Zhang as the Chinese fighter wanted to take more time off before resuming her UFC career. Her last bout took place when she lost to Shevchenko at UFC 322 in November 2025.
“We did try to make a women’s fight. We couldn’t get it done,” declared White of the bout. As a result, there will be no female fighters on next month’s show.
Due to the work involved in clearing fighters and the cornermen to access the grounds of the White House, Freedom 250 will feature just seven fights in total. It is not uncommon for UFC events to feature almost twice that number of bouts.
Despite having to compromise when it comes to the number of fights on the card and dealing with other logistical issues, White is fiercely proud of the show he plans to put on next month. He even admits that he will lose a significant amount of money in the process.
“This is basically me spending a s***load of money to celebrate the 250th birthday of America, with America and the rest of the world,” he conceded.
Newcastle United endured a season to forget as they finished in the bottom half of the Premier League with no European football on offer next campaign.
After a memorable 2024-25 campaign that saw the club lift the Carabao Cup and qualify for the Champions League, the last 10 months have been rife with inconsistency and lacklustre displays.
For a second summer in a row, Newcastle face a tough battle to keep hold of their top players. Sandro Tonali has been linked with Premier League rivals Manchester United and Anthony Gordon is attracting strong interest from across Europe.
Bayern Munich are keen on the player while Liverpool are not out of the race to sign the boyhood Reds fan.The Magpies value Gordon at £75m and are reluctant to sell him unless that valuation is met.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano expects Gordon to leave St James’ Park this summer. While there is interest from Bayern and Liverpool, Barcelona are ‘big, big fans of the player’.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “I expect him to leave Newcastle, I expect movements around Anthony Gordon.
“Barcelona, I have to tell you this, Barcelona are really big, big, big fans of Anthony Gordon.”
Gordon clearly has no shortage of suitors with Romano also revealing that several Premier League clubs have made calls to understand the situation on the player’s future.
The England international joined Newcastle in January 2023 in a deal worth up to £45m. He became the Magpies’ all-time top-scorer in the Champions League this season and netted a total of 17 times in 46 games this term.
In a fresh update, Romano posted on X that Gordon has now agreed personal terms to join Barcelona. He said: “Total agreement reached between Anthony Gordon and Barcelona on personal terms
“Barcelona are in direct, official talks with Newcastle to close the deal club-to-club. Barça want to get the deal done quickly to anticipate PL clubs and Bayern, still active behind scenes.”
While Gordon seemingly has his pick of clubs, Newcastle are likely to prioritise the biggest offer over the player’s preference.
At Bayern, he would be competing with Michael Olise for a spot on the right wing while at Barca he would need to unseat Lamine Yamal if he wanted to play in his natural position.
At Liverpool, an avenue to first-team football is much more open. Mohamed Salah has left the Merseyside club after nine years at Anfield and the right wing position is up for grabs.
Jeremie Frimpong has been used in an attacking role in the last few months but he is a right-back by trade. Meanwhile, Federico Chiesa’s game-time has continued to be heavily limited under Arne Slot.
Gordon also knows Liverpool striker Alexander Isak well, with the pair playing 84 times together at Newcastle before the Sweden international joined the Reds.
However, with the player agreeing personal terms to join Barca, he is backing himself to make an impact in Spain as the clubs continue talks over a deal.
Liverpool Make Move to Hire ‘Elite’ Manager Amid Arne Slot Sack Decision
The Reds are weighing up their options should they decide to sack Arne Slot
Arsenal and Spurs Stars Celebrate End of Season in Same Nightclub
Alan Shearer Names England’s Starting 11 vs Croatia at 2026 World Cup
Why Arsenal Will Not Lift Premier League Trophy During Bus Parade
Southampton’s Head of UK Scouting Ben Chorley Leaves Amid Spygate Scandal
Brock Lesnar Reveals Real Reason He Returned to WWE Despite WrestleMania Retirement
ADC presidential primary: Atiku floors Amaechi, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen in Yobe
Venezuela Fury’s New Husband Asks Followers For Money During £30,000 Honeymoon
Troops neutralise two suspected bandits in Taraba, recover Ak-47
