Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports
One of the best prospects in the UFC’s light heavyweight division is getting a major step up in competition.
The UFC’s final event of 2019 will feature a big matchup in the light heavyweight division.
The promotion officially announced on Thursday that former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir will take on rising prospect Aleksandar Rakic at UFC Busan in South Korea on Saturday, December 21st. ESPN+ will stream the event’s main card, with prelims airing on ESPN television.
Oezdemir (16-4) snapped a three-fight losing streak with a comprehensive beating of Ilir Latifi at UFC Uruguay in August. The Switzerland native earned a performance bonus for his second-round KO victory, which put him back above .500 for his UFC career. After a surprise 3-0 start inside the Octagon that included quick KOs of Jimi Manuwa and Misha Cirkunov, Oezdemir earned a title shot vs. then-champion Daniel Cormier in 2017, losing by TKO. He would later suffer defeats to Anthony Smith and Dominick Reyes before his impressive display against Latifi.
Rakic (12-1) hasn’t lost a bout since his pro debut back in 2011. The 27-year-old Austrian has racked up four wins under the UFC banner, including a highlight-reel head kick KO of Jimi Manuwa at UFC Stockholm in June. His other victories include a comeback TKO of Devin Clark, as well as unanimous decision nods over Justin Leder and Francimar Barroso. Current UFC rankings have Rakic at #10, two spots below his next opponent.
UFC Fight Night: Busan does not yet have a main event, but does include a flyweight bout between contenders Alexandre Pantoja and Matt Schnell.