1. Early Life and Amateur Career
Aleksandar Rakić's formative years in Vienna, Austria, laid the groundwork for his eventual career in combat sports, culminating in his transition to professional mixed martial arts.
1.1. Childhood and Introduction to Combat Sports
Born and raised in Vienna, Austria, Rakić comes from a Serb family. As a child, he initially played football. However, due to an aggressive temperament, he was expelled from his team. This aggressive inclination led him to begin training in kickboxing and boxing at the age of 12. He had his first fight at 14 years old and amassed a significant record of over 40 fights by the time he was 20. While pursuing his training, Rakić supported himself by working at a hotel.
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1.2. Transition to Mixed Martial Arts and Professional Debut
Seeking a new challenge after his extensive amateur career in striking arts, Rakić transitioned to mixed martial arts (MMA) when he was 19 or 20 years old. He made his professional MMA debut in 2011, competing primarily on the European circuit. Over the next six years, he built an impressive professional record of 8 wins and 1 loss before signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in March 2017. During this early period, he also competed for promotions like the Final Fight Championship in Austria.
2. Ultimate Fighting Championship Career
Aleksandar Rakić's tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship has seen him secure significant victories, rise through the rankings, and face notable setbacks due to injuries and challenging opponents.
2.1. Early UFC Fights and Ascent
Rakić made his highly anticipated UFC debut on September 2, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 115 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, where he faced Francimar Barroso. He won the bout via unanimous decision, marking a successful start to his UFC career. A planned fight against Gadzhimurad Antigulov on February 24, 2018, at UFC on Fox 28 was unfortunately canceled after Antigulov withdrew due to injury. Rakić's next fight took place on July 22, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 134 against Justin Ledet, which he also won by unanimous decision. His ascent continued on December 8, 2018, at UFC 231, where he delivered a first-round TKO victory against Devin Clark through punches.
2.2. Major Wins and Setbacks
A career-defining moment for Rakić came on June 1, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 153, when he faced veteran fighter Jimi Manuwa. Rakić secured a spectacular knockout victory just 42 seconds into the first round with a powerful head kick. This performance earned him his first "Performance of the Night" bonus award.
However, Rakić faced his first UFC setback on December 21, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 165 against Volkan Oezdemir, losing by a controversial split decision. The decision drew significant debate, with 7 out of 8 media members scoring the fight in favor of Rakić. Despite this loss, Rakić announced on February 17, 2020, that he had signed a new six-fight contract with the UFC, demonstrating the organization's continued faith in his potential.
He returned to the octagon on August 29, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 175, dominating Anthony Smith to win by unanimous decision, including securing a knockdown in the first round with a low kick and controlling the grappling exchanges. On March 6, 2021, at UFC 259, Rakić faced Thiago Santos and secured another unanimous decision victory in a contest characterized by both fighters' cautious approach.
A significant challenge arose when Rakić was scheduled to face former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jan Błachowicz on March 26, 2022. The bout was initially postponed due to an injury to Błachowicz and rescheduled for UFC on ESPN 36 on May 14, 2022. Rakić ultimately lost the fight via technical knockout in the third round after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, rendering him unable to continue. It was later revealed that he had sustained the knee injury three weeks prior to the fight during a sparring session. Following the diagnosis, he underwent surgery for the torn ACL.
2.3. Recent Bouts
After a nearly two-year layoff recovering from his knee injury, Rakić was initially set to have a rematch with Jan Błachowicz on January 20, 2024, at UFC 297. However, Błachowicz withdrew from the fight due to shoulder surgery. Rakić was then matched against former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jiří Procházka on April 13, 2024, at UFC 300. Despite landing numerous effective leg kicks, Rakić lost the bout by technical knockout in the second round after being overwhelmed by punches from Procházka.
His most recent fight took place on October 26, 2024, at UFC 308, where he faced Magomed Ankalaev. Rakić lost the fight via unanimous decision after a three-round contest.
3. Championships and Accomplishments
Aleksandar Rakić has received several accolades throughout his mixed martial arts career, particularly during his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Jimi Manuwa
- UFC Honors Awards
- 2019: Fan's Choice Knockout of the Year Nominee vs. Jimi Manuwa
- UFC.com Awards
- 2019: Ranked #3 Knockout of the Year vs. Jimi Manuwa
4. Mixed Martial Arts Record
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 14-5 | Magomed Ankalaev | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 308 | October 26, 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Loss | 14-4 | Jiří Procházka | TKO (punches) | UFC 300 | April 13, 2024 | 2 | 3:17 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 14-3 | Jan Błachowicz | TKO (knee injury) | UFC on ESPN: Błachowicz vs. Rakić | May 14, 2022 | 3 | 1:11 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 14-2 | Thiago Santos | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 259 | March 6, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 13-2 | Anthony Smith | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić | August 29, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 12-2 | Volkan Oezdemir | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. The Korean Zombie | December 21, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Busan, South Korea | |
| Win | 12-1 | Jimi Manuwa | KO (head kick) | UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Smith | June 1, 2019 | 1 | 0:42 | Stockholm, Sweden | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 11-1 | Devin Clark | TKO (punches) | UFC 231 | December 8, 2018 | 1 | 4:05 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |
| Win | 10-1 | Justin Ledet | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Smith | July 22, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Hamburg, Germany | |
| Win | 9-1 | Francimar Barroso | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Struve | September 2, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | |
| Win | 8-1 | Sergio Souza | TKO (punches) | Austrian Fight Challenge 5 | March 4, 2017 | 1 | N/A | Vienna, Austria | |
| Win | 7-1 | Martin Batur | KO (punch) | Austrian Fight Challenge 1 | June 20, 2015 | 1 | 0:26 | Vienna, Austria | |
| Win | 6-1 | Marcin Prachnio | TKO (punches) | Final Fight Championship 16 | December 6, 2014 | 3 | 3:00 | Vienna, Austria | |
| Win | 5-1 | Norbert Péter | TKO (punches) | HG: Heimgala 2 | September 13, 2014 | 1 | 4:57 | Vienna, Austria | |
| Win | 4-1 | Péter Rozmaring | Submission (north-south choke) | Vendetta: Rookies 2 | July 6, 2013 | 1 | 1:32 | Vienna, Austria | |
| Win | 3-1 | Laszlo Czene | KO (head kick) | WFC: Challengers 3 | June 3, 2012 | 1 | N/A | Vienna, Austria | |
| Win | 2-1 | Richard Longhimo | TKO (punches) | Iron Fist: Vendetta 3 | March 18, 2012 | 2 | 4:30 | Vienna, Austria | |
| Win | 1-1 | Carsten Lorenz | TKO (punches) | New Talents 15 | February 4, 2012 | 1 | 1:42 | Erfurt, Germany | |
| Loss | 0-1 | Christian Radke | Submission (guillotine choke) | Rock the Cage 2 | October 15, 2011 | 1 | 4:34 | Greifswald, Germany |
5. See also
- List of current UFC fighters
- List of male mixed martial artists