Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz has withdrawn from his scheduled March 26th bout with Aleksandar Rakic.
This was first reported by MMA journalist Ariel Helwani.
It’s unclear what the reasoning is behind Blachowicz pulling out of the fight, but it can almost be assumed that it’s due to an injury in camp. It’s unclear how long Blachowicz will be sidelined.
Blachowicz was looking to get back in the win column after losing his belt to Glover Teixeira at UFC 267. Before that, he had earned wins over Israel Adesanya and Dominick Reyes in his previous two outings.
Jan Blachowicz Vs. Aleksandar Rakic To Be Rescheduled
Rakic is coming off of back-to-back wins over Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos inside the octagon. He’s been called for a title shot but accepted the next best thing in the former champion Blachowicz.
Blachowicz has recently said that he didn’t feel like himself in the fight against Teixeira. Unlike his previous wins, Blachowicz seemed timid on the feet and was taken down with relative ease against Teixeira.
Blachowicz earned the title over Reyes after Jon Jones vacated the belt following his win over Reyes in early 2020. After a slow start to his UFC tenure, he’s developed into one of the most intimidating forces in the cage.
Rakic is looking to get to his first title shot after an impressive string of wins in the UFC. He’s known as arguably one of the most prolific strikers in recent light heavyweight history.
Helwani went on to report that the matchup will be re-scheduled for later this year, and the UFC is now looking for a replacement main event for March 26. There are numerous high-stakes matchups the promotion could opt to go with.
Who do you want to see take place of Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic?