ALEKSANDAR RAKIĆ

Born in Austria, Aleksandar Rakic transitioned to mixed martial arts following a youth spent training in boxing and kickboxing. He built his reputation on the European circuit before joining the UFC in 2017. Competing in the light heavyweight division out of American Top Team, the orthodox fighter developed a reputation for heavy striking. His career trajectory features a highlight-reel knockout of Jimi Manuwa via head kick, along with high-profile decision victories against veterans Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos.

Heading into his September 2023 matchup, Rakic holds an overall professional record of 14-3-0. His recent performances have been mixed, starting with a 2019 split-decision loss to Volkan Oezdemir. He subsequently rebounded with back-to-back decision wins over Smith and Santos. Most recently, he suffered a technical knockout defeat against Jan Blachowicz in May 2022 due to a knee injury.