Tag: Aleksandar Rakic

UFC on ESPN 36 results: Jan Blachowicz gets TKO win over Aleksandar Rakic when Rakic’s knee buckles

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.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 36 results include:

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UFC on ESPN 36: Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 36 odds and lines between Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic, with MMA picks, tips and predictions.

In a light heavyweight bout in the main event, Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 36 at the UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. Below, we analyze the UFC on ESPN 36 Blachowicz vs. Rakic odds and lines, with picks and predictions.

The fights can be viewed on ESPN/ESPN+ with the prelims starting at 7:30 p.m. ET. The main card begins on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 10:00 p.m. ET.

Blachowicz gives up 2 inches in height to his opponent in this one. Rakic also holds a 4.23-to-3.59 significant strikes landed per minute advantage, and he is a lot more accurate in that department, too, landing 66.84% of his strikes compared to 57.89% for Blachowicz.

If Blachowicz holds an advantage it’s in the ground game where he leads in takedown average as well as a slight 0.21-to-0.19 submission average advantage.

The Polish-born Blachowicz is coming off a disappointing 2nd-round submission loss to Glover Teixeira at UFC 267, losing his title after holding the strap since topping Dominick Reyes in Sept. 2020. He also surprised Israel Adesanya via unanimous decision at UFC 259 in March 2021 to retain the belt between those two bouts.

Rakic is working on a 2-fight win streak, posting a pair of UD wins over Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos after a disappointing split-decision setback to Volkan Oezdemir in Dec. 2019. He is 6-1 in 7 fights, including 5 decisions (4-1), since arriving at the UFC level.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC on ESPN 36 Blachowicz vs. Rakic odds and lines

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:32 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Blachowicz +175 (bet $100 to win $175) | Rakic -230 (bet $230 to win $100)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +102 | No -140)

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UFC on ESPN 36 Blachowicz vs. Rakic picks and predictions

Records: Blachowicz (28-9-0) | Rakic (14-2-0)

Fight result (2-way line or money line)

BLACHOWICZ (+175) is a rather moderate underdog given his solid pedigree. He has been a champion, and Rakic is still not totally complete as a fighter. He has left it up to the judges to decide his fate in 3 straight fights, going 2-1, and that can be rather dangerous. Blachowicz has the ability to submit him.

Over/Under (O/U)

NO (-140): FIGHT TO GO THE DISTANCE is the way to go, despite the fact Rakic hasn’t had a stoppage in each of the past 3 fights.

Blachowicz does good work on the ground, and the Berkut WCA Fight Team member will be looking to get this fight to the canvas as quickly as possible. He won’t knock out Rakic, as that has never happened in his entire career. He has been submitted once before though, and Blachowicz is 9-2 in his professional career via submission.

As such, also play BLACHOWICZ BY SUBMISSION (+1100) for a tremendous value for the Method of Victory wager.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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Photos: UFC on ESPN 36 weigh-ins and faceoffs

Check out these photos of the UFC on ESPN 36 official weigh-ins and faceoffs in Las Vegas.

Check out these photos of the UFC on ESPN 36 official weigh-ins and faceoffs at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. (Photos by Ken Hathaway, MMA Junkie)

Video: Jan Blachowicz, Aleksandar Rakic go nose-to-nose at UFC on ESPN 36 faceoff

Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic are locked in for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 36 main event.

[autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] and [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] are locked in for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 36 main event.

After making weight on Friday morning, Blachowicz : UFC on ESPN 36 weigh-ins and Rakic (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) engaged in a traditional pre-fight faceoff with each other.

It was an intense staredown between the two sides. They went nose-to-nose to kick things off before giving each other distance. Both men acknowledged the serious nature of the contest, as they played no game.

Watch the video above to see Blachowicz and Rakic face off for the UFC on ESPN 36 headliner.

UFC on ESPN 36 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN. The entire card also streams on ESPN

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UFC on ESPN 36 predictions: Can ex-champ Jan Blachowicz get back on track vs. Aleksandar Rakic?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 36 main card in Las Vegas, featuring ex-champ Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic.

Blachowicz
vs.
Rakic		 Cutelaba
vs.
Spann		 Grant
vs.
Smolka		 Chookagian
vs.
Ribas		 Camacho
vs.
Torres		 Hadley
vs.
Nascimento
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
79-38		 blachowicz2022
Blachowicz
(56%)		 spann2022
Spann
(53%)		 grant2022
Grant
(80%)		 ribas2022
Ribas
(52%)		 torres2022
Torres
(73%)		 hadley2022
Hadley
(81%)
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
78-40		 blachowicz2022
Blachowicz		 spann2022
Spann		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
77-41
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 rakic2022
Rakic		 spann2022
Spann		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
76-42
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 rakic2022
Rakic		 spann2022
Spann		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
76-42		 rakic2022
Rakic		 spann2022
Spann		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 camacho2022
Camacho		 hadley2022
Hadley
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
75-43		 rakic2022
Rakic		 spann2022
Spann		 smolka2022
Smolka		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
74-44		 blachowicz2022
Blachowicz		 spann2022
Spann		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Nolan King
@mma_kings
74-44		 rakic2022
Rakic		 cutelaba2022
Cutelaba		 smolka2022
Smolka		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
73-45
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 rakic2022
Rakic		 spann2022
Spann		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
72-46		 rakic2022
Rakic		 cutelaba2022
Cutelaba		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
68-50		 rakic2022
Rakic		 spann2022
Spann		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
59-59		 blachowicz2022
Blachowicz		 spann2022
Spann		 smolka2022
Smolka		 ribas2022
Ribas		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley

The UFC is back in its Las Vegas home base this week with a former champion at the top of the bill.

UFC on ESPN 36 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former light heavyweight champ [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (28-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) takes on [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC). Rakic is a 2-1 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Blachowicz is +150. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking Rakic at a pretty high 8-3 clip.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag] (16-6-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) meets [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] (19-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in another light heavyweight bout. Cutelaba is a -240 favorite, but it’s underdog Spann with a big 9-2 picks lead.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag] (11-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC will go after his fifth straight post-fight bonus award when he takes on [autotag]Louis Smolka[/autotag] (17-8 MMA, 8-8 UFC) at bantamweight. Grant is more than a 3-1 favorite and has a big 8-3 edge in the picks from our staff members.

Former women’s flyweight title challenger [autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) will go after her fourth straight win when she meets [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC). Chookagian nearly is a 2-1 favorite and only one of our pickers is taking Ribas in an upset.

[autotag]Frank Camacho[/autotag] (22-9 MMA, 2-5 UFC) returns after a hiatus of nearly two years to take on [autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at lightweight. Torres is a modest -130 favorite – the smallest favorite on the main card. But he’s a near-unanimous pick at 11-1.

And to open the main card, we have our only unanimous pick: -230 favorite [autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is an 11-0 pick against [autotag]Allan Nascimento[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in their flyweight bout.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Blachowicz (56 percent), Spann (53 percent), Grant (80 percent), Ribas (52 percent), Torres (73 percent) and Hadley (81 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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UFC on ESPN 36 video: Jan Blachowicz, Aleksandar Rakic on weight for main event

The UFC on ESPN 36 headliner between Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic is official.

The UFC on ESPN 36 headliner between [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] and [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] is official.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Blachowicz (28-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) and surging contender Rakic (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) stepped on the scale Friday morning and hit the divisional limit ahead of their five-round, main event clash at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+.

Rakic was the first fighter to weigh-in during the two-hour window, registering at championship weight of 205 pounds even. Blachowicz came in moments later as the second fighter on the scale, and used the non-title allowance at 205.5 pounds.

Check out the video above for the Blachowicz vs. Rakic weigh-in highlights.

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Aleksandar Rakic predicts breakout win over Jan Blachowicz at UFC on ESPN 36, long title reign

Aleksandar Rakic says the world is looking at the next long-term UFC champ when he steps in the octagon at UFC on ESPN 36.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] has been in the lab working on his game for more than one year since he’s last appeared in the octagon.

The break hasn’t been ideal for Rakic (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC), he said, but it’s allowed him significant time to hone his skill set for the biggest fight of his career, which comes Saturday when he takes on former champion Jan Blachowicz (28-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) in the UFC on ESPN 36 main event.

“It’s a 14-month layoff for me, but I’ve been really working hard this last 14 months,” Rakic told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “Really. I’ve been improving all my skills and I got one year older, that means I’m one year smarter. Can’t wait. I’m so excited for the fight. Believe it or not, I’m enjoying the weight cut. It’s 14 months I didn’t fight.”

Rakic and Blachowicz were originally scheduled to fight in March, but then Blachowicz suffered a neck injury that left him temporarily paralyzed. He’s seemingly made a full recovery, though, and the five-round matchup with Rakic will now come to fruition at the UFC Apex. The card airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+.

After losing the 205-pound strap to Glover Teixeira at UFC 267 in October, Blachowicz has made no secrets about his hunger to climb back up the mountain and regain the belt. Rakic said that won’t be happening at his expense.

“It’s really a weird injury, but he managed to heal very fast,” Rakic said. “I’m expecting the best version of Jan Blachowicz, because especially after his last performance because it was not good. He lost the belt and he’s going to come Saturday night to the octagon and he’s going to be motivated and focused and he wants the belt back. But there’s one problem, and that’s me.”

Rakic, 30, said he understand the stakes around this fight. With Teixeira set to put his title on the line against Jiri Prochazka next month at UFC 275, there’s a massive opportunity for Saturday’s headliners to make a statement for the next championship opportunity.

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The importance of this moment isn’t lost on Rakic, who is No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings, he said, and he expects his performance against No. 2-ranked Blachowicz to be a glimpse into the future of the division.

“This is the biggest fight of my life fighting a former champ,” Rakic said. “I beat him on Saturday, the No. 1 contender – there’s no doubts that I’m going to fight for a title next. Absolutely, for me in my position, it feels like it’s a title eliminator fight. For him, I really don’t know. But I see it as a title eliminator fight.

“I’m going to put him away on Saturday, and then I’m going to fight for the title. And I’m going to stay in the top for a while, and I’m going to be the champion for a while.”

As far as who he envisions himself challenging for the title against, Rakic said he hopes Teixeira is able to defend the strap. The Brazilian is 42 years old and only has a finite number of fights left in his career. Rakic said he would be honored to be one of those opponents, but he said it’s no guarantee Prochazka won’t win the fight.

“I see this fight as a 50/50 chance,” Rakic said. “Because if Glover can withstand the pressure of Jiri early in the fight, if he can withstand the pressure in the first round or beginning in the second, then he’ll drag Jiri to deep waters and probably get the TKO or submission or take him a decision.”

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Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic rebooked for UFC’s May 14 main event

Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic has been rescheduled for May.

[autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] has been rebooked for May.

The pair originally was scheduled to headline UFC on ESPN 33 on March 26, but Blachowicz withdrew due to injury. They will now square off in the main event of the UFC’s May 14 Fight Night event, which is likely to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. The news first surfaced when someone from Rakic’s camp posted about the fight.

Blachowicz (28-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) will look to rebound after losing his light heavyweight title to Glover Teixeira this past October at UFC 267. Prior to that, the Polish fighter notched his lone title defense when he bounced UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya out of the ranks of the unbeaten at UFC 259.

Rakic (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) is coming off back-to-back decision wins over former title challengers Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos. Since losing his professional MMA debut, the 30-year-old has won 14 of his past 15. His only setback in that stretch came in a split decision to Volkan Oezdemir in December 2019.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for May 14 includes:

  • Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic
  • Ion Cutelaba vs. Ryan Spann
  • Viviane Araujo vs. Andrea Lee
  • Frank Camacho vs. Manuel Torres
  • Jamall Emmers vs. Daniel Pineda
  • Angela Hill vs. Virna Jandiroba
  • Nick Maximov vs. Andre Petroski
  • Jake Hadley vs. Allan Nascimento
  • Davey Grant vs. Louis Smolka

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Jan Blachowicz out of UFC Columbus headliner against Aleksandar Rakic

The UFC’s return to Ohio in March has lost its planned main event.

The UFC’s return to Ohio in March has lost its planned main event.

Former light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (28-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) was supposed to headline the March 26 card against [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC). But Blachowicz announced early Friday an injury has forced him out.

The fight, which was set for the main event at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, would have been Blachowicz’s first since he lost the 205-pound title to Glover Teixeira. Blachowicz said an injury near his spine requires attention.

“Unfortunately I will not fight March 26th at #UFCColumbus,” Blachowicz posted on Twitter. I have an injury in my spine around the neck area. That makes it impossible to train with heavy weights. I need to fix that now. I hope we will meet with @rakic_ufc in the octagon in the first half of this year. 👊”

A report from MMA Kultura said Rakic will be pulled from the card, as well, in order to reschedule against Blachowicz at a later date, though the UFC has not made a formal announcement.

Blachowicz lost the light heavyweight title to Teixeira at UFC 267 this past October. Prior to that, the 38-year-old had won five straight, including a title defense over formerly unbeaten UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya, who moved up to 205 pounds to try for a second belt.

Rakic is coming off back-to-back wins over former title challengers Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos. The Austria native has just one loss in the UFC – a split decision setback against Volkan Oezdemir in December 2019.

With the change, the UFC Columbus lineup now includes:

  • Aleksandar Rakic vs. TBA
  • Amanda Ribas vs. Michelle Waterson
  • Sara McMann vs. Karol Rosa
  • Askar Askarov vs. Kai Kara-France
  • Bryan Barberena vs. Matt Brown
  • Alexa Grasso vs. Joanne Wood
  • Max Griffin vs. Neil Magny
  • Seungwoo Choi vs. Tucker Lutz
  • Danaa Batgerel vs. Montel Jackson
  • David Dvorak vs. Matheus Nicolau
  • Aliaskhab Khizriev vs. Abusupiyan Magomedov
  • Nate Landwehr vs. Lerone Murphy

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Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic in the works for UFC Fight Night on March 26 main event

Jan Blachowicz has his first fight booked since losing his light heavyweight title.

[autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] has his first fight booked since losing the light heavyweight title.

Blachowicz (28-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) is targeted to meet [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC Fight Night on March 26. The card doesn’t yet have an announced venue or location.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the targeted booking but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Ariel Helwani was first to report the news.

Former 205-pound champion Blachowicz was dethroned in a submission loss to Glover Teixeira at UFC 267 in October. Prior to that, the 38-year-old had won five straight, including a title defense over formerly unbeaten UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya.

Looking to earn his first-career title shot is Rakic, who’s coming off back-to-back wins over former title challengers Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos. The Austria native has just one octagon loss, a split decision to Volkan Oezdemir in December 2019.

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