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.
Manchester United are close to reaching a full agreement for Michael Carrick’s first signing, with talks over a fee to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson at the final stages, according to Sky Sports.
Man United are wasting no time in their bid to strengthen the squad ahead of their return to the Champions League next season, with new players needed to boost a squad that will be wanting to fight strongly on two fronts in the 2026-27 campaign, as well as in the domestic cup competitions.
With the start of the World Cup a fortnight away, the Red Devils appear to be taking their opportunity to wrap up some transfer business early, given some of their transfer targets are likely to be taking part in the tournament in North America.
Ederson missed out on a spot in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad, which will be a positive for United as it means he can join up with them for the start of pre-season should a deal go ahead.
The Red Devils’ recruitment team have identified central midfield as a key position for months, with Casemiro’s summer exit being confirmed in January, and a general shortage of quality and depth in that area.
According to Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas, posting on X, Manchester United are close to agreeing a deal with Atalanta to sign Ederson.
The ‘world-class’ Brazilian has already agreed terms on a five-year contract, according to GIVEMESPORT sources, with a club-to-club agreement now on the verge of being reached.
According to Sky Sports, the deal will be worth around €44m (£38m), with the deal being broken down to €40.5m guaranteed for the Serie A outfit, and a further €3.5m in add-ons.
The outlet add that a full agreement could be reached by the end of the week, which is just over 24 hours away.
While United work on a deal to sign Ederson from Atalanta, a report from Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb at the weekend suggested they are also close to an agreement to sign Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali.
Calciomercato had reported previously that Carrick wanted the Italy international to be his first signing at Old Trafford ahead of Ederson, showing how keen he is on a deal.
Negotiations with Newcastle are likely to be more difficult though, with the Magpies said to value the 26-year-old at €100m (£86m), which is a significantly higher fee than Ederson’s.
Still, the Red Devils are ready to put big money behind the right Casemiro replacement, so we can’t rule out a big-money Tonali deal in the coming weeks.
United continue to look at other midfield options too, with Manuel Ugarte potentially joining Casemiro through the Old Trafford exit door, with Mateus Fernandes of West Ham United and Carlos Baleba of Brighton and Hove Albion two more Premier League-based targets.
As with Ederson, the Red Devils are exploring opportunities from abroad too, with Real Madrid duo Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde both linked in recent weeks, having been involved in a big behind-scenes bust-up on the training pitch.
Manchester United enjoyed a fine season in 2025/26, finishing up in third place and claiming a spot in next season’s Champions League competition.
The Red Devils finished 14 points off top, but also 14 points above sixth-placed Bournemouth, showing their quality, with captain Bruno Fernandes leading the way with his performances in a record-breaking campaign in which he registered 21 assists in the Premier League, more than anyone else in the history of the division.
But the record-breaking assist for the Portugal international, which came on the final day in the 3-0 win over Brighton, was shrouded in controversy, with some calling for it to be recorded as an own goal after Patrick Dorgu’s header rebounded off the crossbar and hit the hand of goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen before going in.
The Premier League have since confirmed that the record will stand, after the dubious goal panel gave Dorgu the goal, but one ex-Man Utd star has called for them to reconsider their decision.
Plenty of rival fans have been calling for the assist to be scrapped, with Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne previously holding the record of 20 assists in a Premier League season.
And while speaking to BetVictor, via The Sun, former Man Utd midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba was asked for his opinion on the situation, and he revealed that he is in the same boat and feels that it should be chalked off.
“I think it should be chalked off,” he said.
“You can clearly see what happened. The ball did not cross the line properly and it came back off the goalkeeper into the net.
“In my opinion, they need to remove it. If the rules are the rules, then it should not count as an assist.”
Djemba-Djemba is widely regarded as one of the worst signings from the Sir Alex Ferguson era, having played just 39 games for the club over 18 months before leaving for Aston Villa.
Assists have always been a bit of a weird phenomenon in football, because you be credited with one for a sideways one yard pass, and receive nothing at all if you dribble past the whole team and play a pass to someone else who sets up the goal.
But what Fernandes did this season, while playing as a holding midfielder for much of the campaign under Ruben Amorim in a struggling team, before leading the side to a third-place finish and registering goals or assists against all but three opponents this season, tells you how good he was.
Some replays show that the ball was heading in before the touch off the goalkeeper, while others show the opposite. There’s nothing concrete, and therefore it would be crazy for the league to take the assist, and therefore the record, away from him.
Man Utd Reach Full Agreement to Complete Michael Carrick’s First Signing
Man Utd are pushing to sign a new midfielder.
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.
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