Magomed Ankalaev vs Aleksandar Rakic booked for UFC 308
It appears former light-heavyweight title challenger and no. 2 ranked contender Magomed Ankalaev (19-1-1) won’t be fighting Alex Pereira for the title in his next fight, as he’s now slated to face no. 5 ranked Aleksandar Rakic (14-4), the bout recently being scheduled for UFC 308.
UFC 308 is to go down on October 26, 2024, live from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Ankalaev made his UFC debut back in 2018 with a perfect 9-0 record where he was submitted by Paul Craig (triangle choke) at 4:59 of the third and final round in a fight he was dominating merely every second of.
To this day however that remains the only defeat of his career, as he’s gone unbeaten in his last 12-straight fights. He’d go on a nine-fight win streak following, defeating the likes of Marcin Prachnio (KO), Klidson Abreu (UD), Dalcha Lungiambula (KO), Ion Cutelaba twice (TKO, KO), Nikita Krylov (UD), and then a trio of former title challengers in Volkan Oezdemir (UD), Thiago Santos (UD), and Anthony Smith (UD).
This led up to his vacant title shot at UFC 282 opposing former light-heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz, who he battled to a draw with though most, including Blachowicz himself, believed Ankalaev deserved to walk away with the belt.
Instead of being thrown into another title fight the UFC decided to have him face then no. 7 ranked Johnny Walker, who though Ankalaev was looking great against, he landed an illegal knee onto the downed Brazilian, the fight being declared a no contest as a result.
They ran it back in an immediate rematch earlier this year in January with Ankalaev KO’ing Walker midway through round two.
Rakic on the other hand began his promotional tenure about six months earlier in 2017, winning his first four fights with the promotion showcasing victories over the likes of Francimar Barroso (UD), Justin Ledet (UD), Devin Clark (TKO), and Jimi Manuwa (KO), before losing a disputed decision to Volkan Oezdemir (SD).
He’d go on to defeat Anthony Smith (UD) and Thiago Santos (UD) himself, before losing to Jan Blachowicz (TKO) in a fight where he suffered a knee injury. Rakic returned after a 23 month layoff to face no. 1 ranked former UFC and Rizin light-heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka at UFC 300 in April, a fight he looked great early on in, though he was ultimately KO’d in round two.
This is an exciting match up between two great strikers that can wrestle very well.
Who comes out of this one on top at UFC 308?
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