Oezdemir Vs. Rakic Booked For UFC On ESPN+ 23

Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC

Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir will return to action against rising contender Aleksandar Rakic when the two meet at UFC on ESPN+ 23 on Dec. 21 live on ESPN+ from inside Sajik Arena in Busan, South Korea, per a recent promotional announcement via Twitter.

Oezdemir, 30, is coming off a fabulous knockout victory over Swedish powerhouse Ilir Latifi back in August. That win broke a three-fight losing skid for “No Time”, which included a 2018 title loss to then UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. Oezdemir, who only made his UFC debut back in 2017, has clearly made the necessary adjustments to regain his footing in the evolving 205-pound division. A win over a hungry prospect like Rakic will do “No Time” wonders heading into 2020.

Rakic, 27, is one of the most promising young talents in the light heavyweight division today. The Austrian striker has won his first four fights under the UFC banner, which includes a recent knockout victory of Jimi Manuwa back in June, and has shown improvement in his game each and every time he competes. While Oezdemir is the type of fighter to play into Rakic’s striking game there’s a lot of momentum to gain from a win over “No Time.” Should Rakic finish Oezdemir this December he’d likely land on the short list of title contenders for current champion Jon Jones entering next year.

UFC on ESPN+ 23 currently has no main event in place, but will also feature a flyweight affair between former Ultimate Fighter standouts Alexandre Pantoja and Matt Schnell.

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