UFC light heavyweight contender Aleksandar Raki? took a subtle dig at former UFC fighter turned commentator Paul Felder on Twitter.
Raki? is set to face former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz later this year in his return to the Octagon. …
UFC light heavyweight contender Aleksandar Raki? took a subtle dig at former UFC fighter turned commentator Paul Felder on Twitter.
Raki? is set to face former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz later this year in his return to the Octagon. He most recently defeated Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith in a pair of massive light heavyweight wins.
Raki? has never been afraid to speak his mind, especially when it comes to the UFC commentary team and their supposed bias. He most recently took a shot at Daniel Cormier after Dominick Cruz criticized his fight commentary leading up to UFC 269.
“Just say what you gotta say,” Felder said. “Is this a third-grade crush? Tell me you don’t like my commentary and I’ll tell you some of your fights suck.”
In a series of since-deleted tweets, Raki? said he tends to mute the UFC broadcasts when commentators such as Felder are at the desk. Felder took exception to this and even responded to Rakic in the middle of a fight card.
Raki? has emerged as one of the more outspoken light heavyweight contenders, as evidenced by his recent back-and-forths with Ji?í Procházka. Raki? could get the next 205-pound title shot with another impressive win in the Octagon.
Felder also has a history of not letting trolls and critics go unchallenged. He’s notorious for putting harsh critics of his commentary on blast and often engages in Twitter back-and-forths.
What are your thoughts on the UFC commentary team?
UFC light heavyweight contender Jamahal Hill believes Aleksandar Raki? should be challenging champion Glover Teixeira next instead of Ji?í Procházka.
While Raki? has been in the UFC since 2017, Procházka only arrived on MMA’s biggest stage last yea…
UFC light heavyweight contender Jamahal Hill believes Aleksandar Raki? should be challenging champion Glover Teixeira next instead of Ji?í Procházka.
While Raki? has been in the UFC since 2017, Procházka only arrived on MMA’s biggest stage last year. But in the short period of time he’s been a part of the promotion’s light heavyweight roster, “Denisa” has made a monumental impact, one that’s seen him surpass Raki? in the rankings.
In his debut, Procházka brutally knocked out former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir on Fight Island. Having broken onto the scene in impactful fashion, the Czech star went one step further in his second appearance, breaking into title contention with an even more vicious KO, this time against Dominick Reyes.
Not many people have secured a main event slot in just their sophomore outing, and even fewer have cemented their status as number one contender without even making three walks to the Octagon. But despite his impressive start in the UFC, not everyone believes he’s done enough to earn a spot at the front of the queue.
According to Hill, who is tipped as a future star at 205 pounds and currently sits at #12 in the rankings, Raki? deserves to be fighting for gold next over his European peer.
“I mean, both have a case, I guess. Me, personally, I think it should be Raki?, just because Raki? has been here longer,” Hill told The Hannibal TV. “Who’s had the most success at his weight? Who’s done the more things to put themselves into championship position? I think that’s Raki?. Ji?í came in and beat two guys that were on losing streaks.”
Raki? Will Have To Go Through A Former Champion To Reach Gold
Since joining the UFC, Raki? has gone 6-1. However, most believe the Austrian should boast a perfect record in the promotion. His sole loss, a split decision defeat to Oezdemir in 2019, was highly controversial, and most believe he was the rightful winner.
Since that setback, “Rocket” has got back on track with consecutive successes against former title challengers Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos. In the eyes of many, those victories, coupled with his triumphs over the likes of Jimi Manuwa and Devin Clark, should have been enough to book him a date with the champion. That’s without even mentioning the suggestion that Procházka turned down offers to face the 29-year-old.
Instead, Raki? will have to go through former champion Jan Blachowicz if he is to earn a title shot in 2022. The Polish powerhouse was dethroned by Teixeira at UFC 267 and will be looking to secure a chance at redemption by stalling the charge of his fellow European.
The pair are set to headline the March 26 UFC Fight Night. The winner is expected to challenge the victor of the likely championship clash between Teixeira and Procházka.
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Do you agree with Jamahal Hill? Should Aleksandar Raki? be fighting for the title next instead of Ji?í Procházka?
UFC light heavyweight contender Aleksandar Raki? feels that a battle in the Octagon between him and Ji?í Procházka is inevitable.
Raki? and Procházka seemed as though they were on a collision course for months after the two of them have gone back-a…
UFC light heavyweight contender Aleksandar Raki? feels that a battle in the Octagon between him and Ji?í Procházka is inevitable.
Raki? and Procházka seemed as though they were on a collision course for months after the two of them have gone back-and-forth in the media. Raki?, in particular, has made his critical opinions of Procházka perfectly clear.
Rakic has accused Procházka of ducking him in the past and is doubling down on those claims as he gets ready for his next appearance in the Octagon. During an interview with MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun, Raki? reiterated what’s next for him and is temporarily closing the door on a fight with Procházka.
“Jiri, I cannot take this clown seriously you know. I don’t care about him. My focus is on Jan Blachowicz and on March 26 and I don’t care about this guy,” Raki? said. “I don’t care about him and this fake samurai sh*t that he’s doing and just focusing on Jan Blachowicz. My goal is to stay active and this was not so possible this year, but finally, I got the opportunity to fight again and that’s for the No. 1 contender to fight next for the belt.”
As stated above, Raki? will be facing former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz on March 26. Meanwhile, Procházka is widely expected to fight the newly-crowned champion, Glover Teixeira at a later date. He most recently dispatched Dominick Reyes in a UFC main event earlier this year.
There’s clearly no love lost between Raki? and Procházka, and the two of them could meet sooner rather than later depending on how their next fights play out.
Who do you think would win in a bout between Aleksandar Raki? and Jiri Procházka?
Aleksandar Raki? Prepared For Everything With Jan Blachowicz
“I’m gonna be ready to wrestle 25 minutes, I’m gonna be ready to grapple or to strike against him,” Raki? said. “It depends what Jan is gonna give me. This I’m gonna see in the first minutes or the first round or the second round. I’m gonna be prepared for everything, and I know for myself, I’m improving all of the aspects of the fight.
“I want to be the next Georges St-Pierre, to be the most well-rounded fighter in the UFC roster in the light heavyweight division, and I’m in a good way for doing that.”
Raki? is coming off of back-to-back wins over Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith. The 29-year-old light heavyweight contender has burst into title contention since making his UFC debut back in 2017.
Living up to the wrestling prowess of Georges St-Pierre will not be an easy task for Raki?. St-Pierre is widely regarded as one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time and one of the best grapplers in the sport’s history.
However, one thing is clear when it comes to evaluating Raki?’s potential: he’s aiming to be one of the best light heavyweights in the sport. If he’s able to put on another impressive performance against Blachowicz, fans will start taking more notice of his wide-ranging skill set.
What is your prediction for Aleksandar Raki? vs. Jan Blachowicz?
UFC light heavyweight contender Aleksandar Raki? believes he’s “much hungrier” than his upcoming opponent and former champion Jan Blachowicz.
Raki? has spent much longer on the sidelines than he wanted, but it appears he’ll finally have the chance …
UFC light heavyweight contender Aleksandar Raki? believes he’s “much hungrier” than his upcoming opponent and former champion Jan Blachowicz.
Raki? has spent much longer on the sidelines than he wanted, but it appears he’ll finally have the chance to secure number one contender status when he returns to action in the first quarter of 2022. The Austrian last entered the Octagon at UFC 259 in March, where he defeated former title challenger Thiago Santos by way of a unanimous decision.
Following the announcement, Raki? spoke to MMA News’ James Lynch to discuss his upcoming fight with the Polish behemoth, his rivalry with Czech knockout artist Ji?í Procházka, his experience training with Khamzat Chimaev, and his feud with former opponent Smith.
Raki? Targets Title Shot By Slaying A Former Champion
While Raki? has certainly been impressive in his UFC tenure to date, which most believe should see him unbeaten at 7-0 given the controversial nature of his split decision loss to Volkan Oezdemir, Blachowicz will be no easy path to go through to reach the top step at 205 pounds.
Raki? told MMA News he’s expecting a motivated Blachowicz come March 26. However, given the fact he’s yet to feel what it’s like to sit on the top step, “Rocket” believes he’ll be “much hungrier” when the pair enter the cage together.
“I’m thinking that he’s gonna come with the extra motivation to our fight and to be a better version, you know. To beat a guy even more hungry than before and more willing to get the belt back, it’s gonna be awesome. He was already on the top, he knows how it feels. I was never on the top and I was never a champion. So I am much hungrier than him, that I can say.”
Nevertheless, Raki? acknowledges the challenge he has in front of him. Hailing from a central European country himself, the 29-year-old is aware of the toughness Blachowicz has inside him. With that in mind, the Austrian will be preparing for war as he looks to secure a title shot for later in the year.
“I have a great team and we’ve been watching Jan for a while now… He’s a tough guy. He’s from Poland; from this area, guys are really tough. He’s coming not to lose, he’s coming for everything. But I am from the same area. I’m the same…I’m gonna be right on point on the 26th of March to get the W and to secure my title shot.”
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With Teixeira and Procházka expected to collide for the gold in the second quarter of 2022, likely April or May, according to the Brazilian, it stands to reason the winner of Raki? vs Blachowicz will be fighting the champ in the back end of 2022.
Who do you think will have their hand raised in the March 26 UFC Fight Night main event, Aleksandar Raki? or Jan Blachowicz?
UFC light heavyweight Aleksandar Raki? has a pretty stern message for fellow contender and former opponent Anthony Smith.
Raki?, who currently sits at #3 in the 205-pound rankings, defeated Smith in a UFC Fight Night main event last August. After f…
UFC light heavyweight Aleksandar Raki? has a pretty stern message for fellow contender and former opponent Anthony Smith.
Raki?, who currently sits at #3 in the 205-pound rankings, defeated Smith in a UFC Fight Night main event last August. After following that win with a victory over Thiago Santos at UFC 259 earlier this year, “Rocket” firmly entered the title conversation.
Following the announcement, Raki? spoke to MMA News’ James Lynch to discuss his upcoming fight with the Polish behemoth, his rivalry with Czech knockout artist Ji?í Procházka, his experience training with Khamzat Chimaev, and his feud with former opponent Smith.
Since falling to Raki? last year, Smith has been back to his best, collecting submission victories over Devin Clark and Ryan Spann, and a TKO over Jimmy Crute. Following his triumph over “Superman” Spann in a September main event, “Lionheart” made it clear he wanted to run it back with Raki?.
After the European star accepted the challenge in minutes, it appeared the pair could be set for a second Octagon meeting this month. Given his already-longer-than-desired layoff, it was no surprise to see “Rocket” eager to fit a second fight into 2021. But Raki?’s wish to be booked opposite Smith in the December 18 main event wasn’t granted.
The matchup collapsed after a knee injury ruled Smith out for the rest of the year. Despite that, “Lionheart” hasn’t shied away from giving his two cents on the current light heavyweight landscape. From expressing his worry over getting “left in the cold” at 205 pounds to suggesting it “would suck” to see Raki? given the Blachowicz fight, the former title challenger isn’t letting his time on the sidelines be a quiet period.
That’s seemingly infuriating for Raki?, who appears to be sick of hearing the sound of his light heavyweight peer’s voice. The Austrian addressed Smith’s comments in his interview with MMA News, and in much harsher terms, asked him to zip it.
“I mean, he was challenging me after his last fight. I immediately said yes for December, and this guy couldn’t make it. He’s injured, you know, and he’s now talking behind screens and behind the phones, and talking and talking, and saying, ‘This (is) hurting my feelings, that I can see that Raki? is gonna fight Blachowicz.’ I don’t care about him and his feelings.
“Why weren’t you ready? Shut the fuck up, get healthy, win another fight, and then we’re gonna talk. That’s it. I have nothing to say about him… I respect this guy. I think he won three after our fight. I respect him as a martial artist. But he is talking too much and I don’t like that,” Raki? told MMA News.
UFC Fight Night: Raki? vs. Blachowicz
Raki? will look to put Smith to the back of his mind in the coming weeks as he prepares for perhaps the most important fight of his career. In his second UFC main event, the 29-year-old will be looking to stake his claim for a shot at gold, which is currently held by veteran Glover Teixeira.
But in his way will be a tough man with a point to prove. Blachowicz held the light heavyweight title for over a year until dropping it to Teixeira in the UFC 267 main event a couple of months ago. Prior to his upset defeat to the Brazilian, the Pole defended the strap by handing middleweight king Israel Adesanya his first setback in professional MMA.
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While Blachowicz will be looking to rebound and make his way back towards the belt, possibly for redemption against Teixeira should he defend the gold against Procházka, Raki? will aim to scale the 205-pound mountain for the first time in 2022, a journey that must go through Blachowicz on March 26.
Who do you think will emerge victorious in the March 26 main event, Aleksandar Raki? or Jan Blachowicz?
