UFC light heavyweight Aleksandar Rakić believes he put on a winning performance in his defeat to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 308.
Rakić and Ankalaev battled in a pivotal UFC light heavyweight matchup on the UFC 308 main card. It was a back-and-forth affair from start to finish, and Ankalaev walked away with the unanimous decision victory (29-28 x 3).
Rakić, one of the few top light heavyweights who hasn’t faced Alex Pereira, had an opportunity to potentially clinch a title shot at UFC 308. Despite falling short against Ankalaev, he remains one of the toughest puzzles to solve in the division.
After a difficult last few years for Rakić, including low UFC activity and injury-related issues, the Austrian is optimistic about his future and feels he took a big step forward at UFC 308.
Aleksandar Rakić ‘proud of my achievement’ after UFC 308 defeat
Rakić made his first post-UFC 308 remarks in a recent Instagram post.
“I’m proud of the support my country my dear people !!” Rakić wrote. “Last night I had a competitive fight against the No. 1 ranked guy in the world I am proud of my achievement; the decision could go either way.
“Thanks to my family, friends & team !!! I’ll rest couple days and get back to work.”
Before the loss to Ankalaev, Rakić fell to former UFC titleholder Jiří Procházka in a wild fight at UFC 300.
The Procházka fight marked Rakić’s return from a nearly two-year hiatus stemming from a leg injury suffered against Jan Blachowicz in May 2022.
Magomed Ankalaev is likely next for Alex Pereira after beating Aleksandar Rakić
After outpointing Rakić at UFC 308, Ankalaev will likely earn his long-coveted light heavyweight title shot against Alex Pereira. In the immediate aftermath, Ankalaev told Pereira to “stop running away from me” during his Octagon interview with Daniel Cormier.
Ankalaev is unbeaten over his last 13 fights, including a split draw against Blachowicz for the then-vacant title at UFC 282. Before the win over Rakić, Ankalaev knocked out Johnny Walker in a January UFC Fight Night headliner.
As for Rakić, he’ll look to snap a two-fight losing streak in his upcoming Octagon appearance. He’s still in the prime of his career and remains a dangerous out for all of the top UFC light heavyweights.