Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.
MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.
But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.
Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.
Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Nov. 6-12.
A big light heayvweight matchup between former champion Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic has been added to UFC 297.
The UFC has added another big matchup to its first pay-per-view event of 2024.
Former light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] will take on [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] at UFC 297. The event takes place Jan. 20 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The bout was officially announced during the UFC 295 broadcast Saturday night.
Blachowicz (29-10-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) will look to reenter the win column after a pair of frustrating results. In his last outing at UFC 291, Blachowicz lost a close split decision welcoming former middleweight champion Alex Periera to the light heavyweight division. That result followed a split draw against Magomed Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 282 for the vacant light heavyweight title.
Blachowicz’s last win came against Rakic (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in their first meeting at UFC on ESPN 36. It was a TKO victory due to injury when Rakic’s knee gave out.
Rakic has not competed since the injury, which led to surgery on his ACL. Prior to the setback, he picked up a pair of unanimous decision wins over former title challengers Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos.
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With the addition, the current UFC 297 lineup includes:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.
Nobody saw the endings to these UFC main events coming.
While the term “freak injury” might not be appropriate to use when discussing a sport that is inherently dangerous, 14 UFC main events have ended in unforeseen injuries – broken legs, separated shoulders, eye pokes, etc. – that don’t typically come in the sequence of MMA combat.
Scroll below to see a chronology of UFC main events that ended in that nature.
Note: Injuries sustained on a TKO due to strikes or tapout due to a submission are not included, nor are retirements on the stool due to extended fight damage or exhaustion. Laceration-based stoppages also are not included since they come as an intentional result of the opposition’s attack.
The landscape at light heavyweight has changed since Aleksandar Rakic got injured, but one thing remains the same.
The landscape at light heavyweight has changed since [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] got injured, but one thing remains the same.
Rakic (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) tore his ACL in a TKO loss to former champion Jan Blachowicz in May 2022, and has been on the mend ever since.
Blachowicz (29-10-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) went on to battle Magomed Ankalaev to a split draw in a vacant title fight at UFC 282, followed by a close loss to former middleweight champ Alex Pereira at UFC 291. Rakic has wanted to run things back with Blachowicz since falling down with the injury, and the fight appears to make more sense than ever as he nears his return.
“If you ask me which fight I would love the most if it’s not a title fight, I would love to run it back with Jan because the chapter is not closed,” Rakic said on Sirius XM’s Fight Nation.
“I was in the best shape of my life and I really didn’t lose the fight because he was the better man on that night. My coaches are telling me, ‘Alex, you beat yourself.’ For me, this chapter is not closed. But we will see what the UFC wants.”
Prior to losing to Blachowicz, Rakic scored back-to-back wins over former title challengers Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos. He is the only fighter in the UFC’s top five light heavyweight rankings to never compete for a championship.
“I need to remind the guys in the top that I’m still here and that I’m potentially a guy who’s fighting for the title,” Rakic said.
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Aleksandar Rakic revealed an altercation with Jimi Manuwa in the aftermath of the UFC Fight Night 208 in London.
[autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] revealed an alleged altercation with [autotag]Jimi Manuwa[/autotag] in the aftermath of the UFC Fight Night 208 on Saturday in London.
Rakic (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC), who brutally knocked out and retired Manuwa (17-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) with a perfect head kick during their light heavyweight bout in June 2019, said he was minding his own business when leaving the card at The O2 when he crossed paths with his former foe, who allegedly attacked him.
Sunday, Rakic posted on social media and gave his account of what he says happened, while also reminding Manuwa of what happened when they were locked in the octagon for real.
“Jimi Manuwa, you piece of sh*t,” Rakic said in a Twitter video. “You son of a b*tch. What a p*ssy move you did last night on me. Guys, I would just let you know that after the event at UFC London, the security was escorting me to the transfer back to the hotel, and ‘Mr. Still Sleep’ was sitting in my row at the end of the row, so I needed to pass by. And I pass by and he talked to me something – I didn’t really pay attention. I have nothing to do with that guy. For me, this is over. So I started to turn away and he sucker-punched me. And even in that close range he couldn’t catch my head. I think he caught me with the forearm on my neck.
“The security was so fast here and they separated us. Man, what a f*cking p*ssy move. You knew that I would be alone in London by myself. You know that I had surgery nine weeks ago and you did this. Man, you’re such a bad loser. I want the people to know what a piece of sh*t you are. I’m going to stay in your head forever. I retired you, I knocked you out and the world saw that. So happy retirement, ‘Mr. Sleep.'”
Hey Jimi,
I thought you were still asleep?#UFCLondon pic.twitter.com/ebdKQv4QQm— Aleksandar Rakic (@rakic_ufc) July 24, 2022
Manuwa has yet to respond to the claims from Rakic. The Brit has not competed since the pair fought more than three years ago. “Poster Boy” ended his career on a four-fight skid, and while he’s teased combat sports comebacks over the years, the 42-year-old has yet to return.
Rakic is coming off a main event loss to Jan Blachowicz at UFC on ESPN 36 in May. The fight ended when Rakic suffered a knee injury that prevented him from continuing, and he’s since been recovering from surgery in anticipation of a key 205-pound bout in his return.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 208.
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Aleksandar Rakic suffered the third torn ACL of his career in his loss to Jan Blachowicz at UFC on ESPN 36.
[autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] received the news he was dreading on Monday when it was confirmed he suffered a torn ACL in his UFC on ESPN 36 main event with Jan Blachowicz.
Rakic’s knee buckled in the third round of this past Saturday’s headliner when he took an awkward back step and gave out underneath him. Rakic (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) was immediately ruled unable to continue, and Blachowicz (29-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC) was awarded the win in the critical light heavyweight bout.
The painful reaction on Rakic’s face made it clear there was likely significant damage, and MMA Junkie verified with a person close to the situation, who requested anonymity, that Rakic was confirmed to have torn the ACL in his right knee following an MRI.
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Ariel Helwani was first to report news of Rakic’s diagnosis on Monday, adding that Rakic has torn the ACL in his left on two previous instances, with this being the first in his right knee.
As a result of the injury, Rakic will be required to undergo surgery. A date for the procedure has not been scheduled.
Rakic, who entered UFC on ESPN 36 as the No. 9-ranked fighter in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings, does not have a timeline to return, which will be covered under the UFC’s insurance policy because he suffered the injury mid-fight. Historically, ACL tear have kept athletes sidelines from nine month to more than 12 months.
Prior to the injury, Rakic and former UFC champ Blachowicz were tied 19-19 on the scorecard, having split the first two rounds.
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Tony Kelley’s controversial cornering, Aleksandar Rakic’s injury and Jan Blachowicz’s win highlight our UFC on ESPN 36 takeaways.
What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 36 in Las Vegas? Here are a few post-fight musings…
Aleksandar Rakic says a knee injury suffered during training camp resurfaced during UFC on ESPN 36 main event against Jan Blachowicz.
The main event of UFC on ESPN 36 was shaping up to be a memorable battle, until its abrupt and unfortunate ending due to injury.
[autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] and former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz were in a very competitive back-and-forth fight with a potential shot at the division’s title on the line. However, in the third round, Rakic’s knee buckled out of nowhere in the third round, causing an immediate stop to the fight, rewarding Blachowicz (29-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC) with the TKO victory.
According to Rakic (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC), the injury is one that occurred a few weeks prior to the fight during training camp, but he still competed. He also believes he won the first two rounds of the fight before the injury resurfaced, and says he would have continued to pull away in the later rounds.
“A great battle took place in the octagon tonight but unfortunately, it ended not the way Jan and I or the fans wanted,” Rakic wrote on Instagram. “The same damn injury from 3 weeks ago in camp showed up again tonight.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdkfHzquEoo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
“I felt I won both rounds, round one being close but round two was just mine then I opened up really good even in the third before my knee buckled. Knowing the fact that my cardio was off the chart (with a heartbeat at 36 in sleep) I would start to picking him apart from third round on but it is what it is. Congratulation to Jan and I wish him the best. I will take care of this injury and come back like you never seen me before.
This is a unfinished fight between Jan and I and I really hope @ufc gives me a REMATCH.”
Rakic entered Saturday’s contest on a two-fight win streak with back-to-back unanimous decision wins over Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos. Once healthy, he would like the chance to rematch with Blachowicz, who has his eyes set on reclaiming the title he previously held.
Blachowicz, who did not come away from Saturday’s contest unscathed, hopes to face the winner of the upcoming title fight on June 11. The division’s champion, Glover Teixeira, is set to defend the light heavyweight title against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 275.
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See the top Twitter reactions to Jan Blachowicz’s win over Aleksandar Rakic in the UFC on ESPN 36 main event.
[autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] rebounded from losing the light heavyweight title against [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] in the UFC on ESPN 36 main event, but it came in anticlimactic fashion.
Blachowicz (29-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC) was awarded a third-round TKO win after Rakic (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) suffered a knee injury that forced the bout to be stopped. Nevertheless, the victory at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas gave him prominent positioning for a title shot at 205 pounds.
Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Blachowicz’s win over Rakic at UFC on ESPN 36.
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Former light heavyweight champ Jan Blachowicz is back on track and hoping to be next in line – though it wasn’t how he wanted it to happen.
Former light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] is back on track and hoping to be next in line – though it wasn’t how he likely wanted it to happen.
Blachowicz (29-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC) got a TKO win over [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in the UFC on ESPN 36 main event Saturday. But it came only after Rakic backed up in the third round and his right knee buckled. After he fell to the canvas with the injury, the fight was waved off and Blachowicz had the TKO win at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
After the win, Blachowicz said he wanted another title shot against champion Glover Teixeira, who is scheduled to defend the belt against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 275 next month.
Blachowicz worked kicked to the leg early, but a Rakic right hand cut him under his left eye. The cut seemed to bother Blachowicz for most of the round. Rakic’s leg kicks were a regular weapon, as was his tendency to wait for Blachowicz to go first before countering. Blachowicz’s best weapon seemed to be lefts to the body with rights over the top as a combination, but Rakic continued to push forward and throw hard. Rakic slowed down in the final minute of the round in what was a close frame.
Thirty seconds into the second, Rakic finds a way to dump Blachowicz to the canvas. Blachowicz tries for a triangle choke, but Rakic works out of it and goes to work on top in Blachowicz’s guard. Rakic threw short punches and elbows when he could, and they started to add up. Although there wasn’t much action, Rakic controlled Blachowicz with relative ease on the canvas. Blachowicz got back to his feet with a few seconds left for the first time since early in the round, but without enough time to make a difference.
Blachowicz needed a turnaround in the third after being controlled in the second. He threw a leg kick early that backed Rakic up. And after a couple left jabs, Rakic backed up again and without warning, his right knee buckled. Rakic grabs the leg immediately and fell to the canvas. Blachowicz started to move in, but he saw Rakic obviously was hurt, and referee Mark Smith moved in to shut things down. The end came at the 1:11 mark of the third round.
Rakic's knee gives out resulting in a victory for Blachowicz #UFCVegas54 pic.twitter.com/7pt2dQa9Jn
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 15, 2022
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 36 results include:
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