Eric Nicksick breaks down Pereira vs Gane at UFC Freedom 250

Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick has issued a tactical warning for Alex Pereira ahead of his interim heavyweight title fight against Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250: avoid planting yourself in front of the Frenchman and trading low kicks.

Speaking with UFC.com's E. Spencer Kyte for the Coach Conversation series, Nicksick singled out Gane's footwork and pull-counters as the trickiest elements Pereira will face in his heavyweight debut. "The biggest mistake Alex can make is standing directly in front of him and exchanging low kicks and power shots," Nicksick said, per UFC.com. He compared Gane's stance-switching mechanics to Israel Adesanya's movement patterns, noting the French heavyweight slides from orthodox to southpaw while walking opponents into power shots.

Why Gane's movement creates heavyweight nightmares

Nicksick called Gane a scoreboard fighter who racks up points through volume rather than looking for one decisive blow. That approach is uncommon at heavyweight, where most contenders plod forward hunting knockouts. Gane layers his striking across three ranges, landing teeps to the body, slapping inside leg kicks, and using pull-counters off his footwork to frustrate opponents. "He's a paper cut guy. It's death by a thousand cuts," Nicksick explained.

The Xtreme Couture coach pointed to Gane's wins over Junior Dos Santos and Alexander Volkov as examples of how the Frenchman damages his opponents methodically before pouring on heavier shots once movement is compromised. Against Tai Tuivasa, Gane abandoned his usual measured approach in the third round only after he had battered the leg and landed clean enough to justify sitting down on power punches.

UFC Freedom 250 takes place Sunday with Pereira attempting to become the first fighter to capture titles in three weight classes. The event also features a featherweight title defense by Ilia Topuria.

Source: ufc.com