Tag: Aleksandar Rakic

Anthony Smith Afraid Of Being ‘Left Out In The Cold’ In LW Division

Anthony Smith has a few issues with the status of the light heavyweight division.

There is a new champion at the top of the UFC light heavyweight division and that has shaken up the top five. With Glover Teixeira now holding the belt that frees up…

Anthony Smith Aleksander Rakic Jan Blachowicz

Anthony Smith has a few issues with the status of the light heavyweight division.

There is a new champion at the top of the UFC light heavyweight division and that has shaken up the top five. With Glover Teixeira now holding the belt that frees up former champ Jan Blachowicz. There are a few possibilities for Blachowicz but he has mentioned wanting contender Aleksander Rakic next. With Jiri Prochazka most likely next for the champ, this might leave Anthony Smith on the outside looking in.

Smith was a guest on The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast to talk about his concerns.

“I’m afraid because I’m indifferent [about who I fight next], I’m going to get left out in the cold,” Smith said. “It would be a real sh*tty deal if Jiri Prochazka gets the title shot and then Rakic and Blachowicz fight each other and that kind of leaves me sitting out with my hands out.”

Smith’s last time out in the UFC ended in a victory over Ryan Spann back in September. Smith has won his last three outings and is currently ranked fourth behind Blachowicz, Rakic, and Prochazka. The last time Smith lost was against Rakic, and that is one fight he would like to get back.

“Listen, I’ve got a lot of respect for Aleksandar Rakic and what he’s done and I have a lot of respect for his skills and abilities, but he’s not that well-liked,” Smith explained. “He’s not the UFC’s favorite guy. Beating him is kind of its own reward, personally. Because I’m not sure how highly people, the powers-that-be, would look upon that win. Because he’s not super exciting for as big as an athlete as he is, and impressive as his physique is, he doesn’t fight like that. So he doesn’t have a fan appealing style.”

Smith is getting call-outs as well, but maybe not the ones he wants. He is a former title challenger and with one more big win could be right back in line to challenge for the belt again.

Who do you think Anthony Smith should face in his next UFC bout?

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Anthony Smith Explains Why Rakic Doesn’t Deserve To Fight Blachowicz

Anthony SmithAnthony Smith and Aleksandar Rakic were poised to meet in a potential rematch in December, after Smith made the callout following his impressive first-round submission win over Ryan Spann. However, ‘Lionheart’ suffered a knee injury and a staph infection which is going to keep him on the side-lines until early 2022. Just recently it came […]

Anthony Smith

Anthony Smith and Aleksandar Rakic were poised to meet in a potential rematch in December, after Smith made the callout following his impressive first-round submission win over Ryan Spann.

However, ‘Lionheart’ suffered a knee injury and a staph infection which is going to keep him on the side-lines until early 2022.

Just recently it came to news the UFC is potentially looking to book a bout between former champion Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic, leaving Smith to just stand by a watch, something that didn’t sit well with him.

“I’m afraid because I’m indifferent (about who I fight next), I’m going to get left out in the cold,” Smith said during an appearance on The Fighter vs. The Writer. “It would be a real sh*tty deal if Jiri Prochazka gets the title shot and then Rakic and Blachowicz fight each other and that kind of leaves me sitting out with my hands out.”

Smith has been trying to rematch with the Austrian ever since he was beaten by him back in August of 2020. Anthony Smith also doesn’t think it is fair for Rakic to be in the position he is when he is turning down fights.

“I know for a fact he’s turned down several fights since his last fight with Thiago Santos, it would be super unfortunate if Rakic gets to sit around and turn down the fights he doesn’t like and gets the biggest fight available in the division.

“That would hurt my feelings, to be honest with you, especially being a guy that takes every single fight offered and the ones that nobody wants.

“Nobody wants to fight Ryan Spann. It’s a tough out. He’s just tough. Whether you think you’re better than him in every aspect of the game, he has that equalizer right hand that just changes the whole trajectory of the fight.

“Jimmy Crute is not a fun fight. There’s nothing fun about that dude. There’s nothing fun preparing for that dude, and I mean that with the utmost respect because of how tough he is.

“No one wants to fight Devin Clark, cause it’s just a tough fight for no reason. You don’t get a lot out of it, and it’s a tough ass dude.”

Anthony Smith wants to take on the former champ Blachowicz

Smith himself is currently riding an impressive three-fight winning streak with all those wins coming via stoppage. Although he would love to run it back with Rakic and get that win over him, he sees more value in facing off against the former champ Jan Blachowicz.

“Listen, I’ve got a lot of respect for Aleksandar Rakic and what he’s done, and I have a lot of respect for his skills and abilities, but he’s not that well-liked.

“He’s not the UFC’s favourite guy. Beating him is kind of its own reward, personally. Because I’m not sure how highly people, the powers-that-be, would look upon that win.

“He’s not super exciting for as big as an athlete as he is, and impressive as his physique is, he doesn’t fight like that. So, he doesn’t have a fan appealing style.

“The people in his home country love the hell out of the guy, but everyone else can kind of take him or leave him. The win over Blachowicz looks better. The Rakic one makes me feel better.” (Transcribed by MMAFighting.com)

Only time will tell for Anthony Smith on how the future of the light heavyweight division plays out, but despite this bump in the road for the American, whoever he does face on his return is in for one hell of a fight.

Who would you like to see Anthony Smith take on when he returns from injury?

REPORT | Jan Blachowicz Vs. Aleksandar Rakic In The Works

Jan BlachowiczA 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 […]

Jan Blachowicz

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?

Blachowicz vs. Raki? March Bout Scraped, Potentially Moved To May

MMA reporter Ariel Helwani revealed today via his substack page that Jan Blachowicz has withdrawn from his March 26 bout against Aleksandar Raki?. According to the Thursday report, the hope is to reschedule the bout for May. Former Blachowicz’s reign at the top of the 205-pound mountain came to a crashing halt at UFC 267 […]

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MMA reporter Ariel Helwani revealed today via his substack page that Jan Blachowicz has withdrawn from his March 26 bout against Aleksandar Raki?.

According to the Thursday report, the hope is to reschedule the bout for May. Former

Blachowicz’s reign at the top of the 205-pound mountain came to a crashing halt at UFC 267 in October. Having won the vacant title in memorable fashion against Dominick Reyes, and successfully defended it once by handing middleweight king Israel Adesanya his first loss in MMA, the Polish star faced the test of Glover Teixeira in Abu Dhabi.

At 42 years of age, it was the Brazilian’s final chance to have UFC gold wrapped around his waist. With a second-round rear-naked choke, Teixeira dethroned Blachowicz and did exactly that.

Given his prior form, which had seen him build a five-fight winning streak that dated back to a loss against Thiago Santos in 2019, many had expected Blachowicz to send Teixeira into retirement and move onto a European clash with Ji?í Procházka. Having seen those plans collapse, the 38-year-old will be looking to rebound back to the belt in 2022.

During a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Blachowicz discussed his plans for 2022, revealing his intentions of returning to the Octagon in the year’s first quarter and discussed a potential bout against Raki?.

“Yeah, it’s good fight, you know. He’s good, he’s strong, you know, young fighter. All fighters in the UFC, top 10, top five, you know, they are amazing fighters and (it’s a) pleasure for me to fight against all of them. Raki? is good for the next fight, but we will see.”

If this pivotal light heavyweight bout gets rescheduled or either fighter gets a new opponent, MMA News will bring you the scoop.

Continue Reading Blachowicz vs. Raki? March Bout Scraped, Potentially Moved To May at MMA News.

Ji?í Procházka Blasts ‘Liar’ Aleksandar Rakic For Fight Offer Claim

UFC light heavyweight contender Ji?í Procházka denied Aleksandar Rakic’s recent claims that he turned down a No. 1 contender fight with him.

Procházka served as the UFC 267 backup fighter for Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira and was in attendance…

Jiri Prochazka Aleksandar Rakic

UFC light heavyweight contender Ji?í Procházka denied Aleksandar Rakic’s recent claims that he turned down a No. 1 contender fight with him.

Procházka served as the UFC 267 backup fighter for Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira and was in attendance to watch Teixeira pull off the massive upset over Blachowicz in the main event. He’s expected to be next in line for the title against Teixeira.

However, Rakic has recently claimed that Procházka was offered a top contender fight with him, a fight in which Prochazka allegedly turned down. UFC President Dana White has remained non-committal on Procházka’s status as the top contender, which has opened the conversation up to a possible fight with Rakic.

It all started when Rakic posted a tweet stating that Procházka had been offered a fight with him.

“If he’s getting the title shot, why did the UFC offer me two days ago to fight him for a #1 contender fight?”

Jiri Procházka Denies Aleksandar Rakic’s No. 1 Contender Fight Claim

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Procházka cleared the air on Rakic’s claims.

“I’m a little bit disappointed in [Rakic’s claims], because my coach, he showed me that tweet before, and that’s, man, this is so disrespectful,” Procházka said. “That’s bad. And the information, that the UFC offered him that fight, that’s not true. That’s not true. I have it from my guys, from my manager, who’s speaking with the UFC, and they said that’s not true what he wrote.”

“That’s showing he’s just a liar,” Procházka continued. “The first step, in my opinion, is I need to keep my word when I stepped into the UFC. I want to go to the title in the shortest way that I can. So that’s my first target.”

Rakic most recently defeated former UFC title challengers Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith in back-to-back fights. Procházka has entered the UFC unscathed, with knockout wins over Dominick Reyes and Volkan Oezdemir.

A No. 1 contender fight between Procházka and Rakic would certainly make sense, but it remains to be seen which direction the UFC brass will ultimately go with the light heavyweight title picture.

Should Jiri Procházka get the next title shot over Aleksandar Rakic?

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Jan Blachowicz Pitches Procházka vs. Raki? Title Eliminator

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz has suggested the next number one contender should be determined by a fight between Ji?í Procházka and Aleksandar Raki?. Blachowicz has held the 205-pound gold for over a year. He won the belt at UFC 253 last September by defeating Dominick Reyes with a second-round TKO. After Jon Jones […]

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UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz has suggested the next number one contender should be determined by a fight between Ji?í Procházka and Aleksandar Raki?.

Blachowicz has held the 205-pound gold for over a year. He won the belt at UFC 253 last September by defeating Dominick Reyes with a second-round TKO. After Jon Jones vacated the strap earlier in 2020, the Polish powerhouse’s crowning marked the first post-Jones champion.

After upsetting the odds against “The Devastator,” Blachowicz found himself branded as the underdog for his first title defense. At UFC 259 in March this year, UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya looked to become the latest simultaneous two-division champ by dethroning Blachowicz. However, after five rounds, the 38-year-old was awarded a comfortable unanimous decision win over “The Last Stylebender”.

After batting away the challenge from below, Blachowicz will now face a title challenge from within his division’s roster for the first time. In the main event of UFC 267 this weekend, the champion will defend his title against #1-ranked light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira. The Brazilian veteran will be looking to join Randy Couture in the post-40 champions club with a victory this weekend. Come fight night in Abu Dhabi, Teixeira will be 42 years old.

Blachowicz Plays Matchmaker

Blachowicz is visibly confident about his chances of emerging from the Etihad Arena on Saturday with the 205-pound gold still wrapped around his waist. While showing respect to his opponent, and acknowledging the threat he possesses, the champ suggested he’ll be knocking Teixeira into retirement on October 30.

With that in mind, the Polish star recently looked ahead to what could be next for him following this week’s non-pay-per-view numbered event. During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Blachowicz jumped into the shoes of Sean Shelby. He said that if he was a matchmaker, he’d be pairing #2-ranked Ji?í Procházka and #3-ranked Aleksandar Raki? together for a title eliminator.

“If I was the matchmaker, but I’m not, but I would do Ji?í against Raki?, and the winner of this fight next for me or next contender for the title shot… but they send me contract and I sign it and fight, because I don’t like to choose opponents. Never do this before and I don’t want to do this.”

In just two Octagon outings, Procházka has burst onto the UFC scene and announced himself as a light heavyweight title contender. The Czech star headed into his promotional debut last summer on a 10-fight win streak and with 25 knockouts in 28 professional wins. He showed exactly why he was so highly touted when he brutally KO’d Volkan Oezdemir on Fight Island. His second fight ended in a similar fashion. In the UFC Vegas 25 main event, “Denisa” slept Reyes with a vicious spinning back elbow.

Raki?, meanwhile, has been in the UFC since 2017. Aside from a controversial split decision loss to Oezdemir, the Austrian has won all of his fights in the UFC. Had he defeated the Swiss contender, the 29-year-old would be unbeaten since his MMA debut loss in 2011. Consecutive victories over Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos have brought him into title contention.

Who would you like to see Jan Blachowicz face if he defeats Glover Teixeira at UFC 267?

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