A pivotal UFC light heavyweight matchup has been booked for next year as former division champion Jan Blachowicz will meet rising contender Aleksandar Rakic in a main event on Mar. 26. The event will take place from inside the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
UFC officials announced the main event matchup earlier today.
Two European LHWs vying to be next in line for the gold!
@JanBlachowicz vs @Rakic_UFC is your #UFCColumbus main event!
[ Sat March 26 https://t.co/pvR9ikSUvf | @NationwideArena ] pic.twitter.com/ZlW4TA1Gmt
— UFC (@ufc) December 11, 2021
Blachowicz, 38, is coming off a disappointing title loss to Glover Teixeira at UFC 267 this past October. The Polish veteran had won fight-straight prior to that loss, including a title fight win over Dominick Reyes and a defense against current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. This is going to be a telling fight for Blachowicz to begin his 2022 campaign as he tries to fight his way back to the title he unexpectedly lost just two months ago.
Rakic, 29, is one of the more promising young contenders in the 205-poind division today. The fighter known as “Rocket” has produced a 6-1 record since his Octagon debut back in 2017. That includes recent back-to-back wins over former title challengers Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith. A victory for Rakic over Blachowicz would almost guarantee him a shot at the light heavyweight crown.
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