A light heavyweight showdown between former UFC champion Jan Blachowicz and rising contender Aleksandar Rakic is in the works for a March 26 Fight Night main event.
This was first reported by MMA journalist Ariel Helwani.
Blachowicz had been rumored to be the target of fellow light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith, but it sounds like negotiations never materialized. Now, the UFC has allegedly opted to pair the former champion with Rakic, who is coming off of back-to-back wins over Smith and Thiago Santos.
Blachowicz most recently lost his light heavyweight title to Glover Teixeira by second-round submission at UFC 267. It was a disappointing performance from Blachowicz who defended his belt against middleweight champ Israel Adesanya earlier this year with relative ease.
Blachowicz earned the vacant title by defeating Dominick Reyes at UFC 253 by second-round knockout.
A Win Over Aleksandar Rakic Could Put Jan Blachowicz Back In The Title Picture
If this matchup ends up getting made, it’s a very important fight for the 205-pound division. Blachowicz is looking to get another shot at the light heavyweight belt, while Rakic is looking to prove he deserves the next title shot.
Teixeira is widely expected to face Jiri Prochazka for his first title defense as champion sometime in early 2022. The winner of that fight would more than likely face the winner of Blachowicz/Rakic next if the fight comes to fruition.
Blachowicz is looking for vengeance after recently saying he didn’t feel like himself in losing to Teixeira. He went as far as pointing out that anyone could’ve beat him that night, including Teixeira.
A Blachowicz vs. Rakic matchup apparently is in the cards, but it remains to be seen if negotiations will move forward. If it happens, it’s a meaningful fight for both.
Who wins the planned Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic fight?