Up-and-coming MMA fighter Aleksandar Rakic battles veteran Anthony Smith in a UFC Light Heavyweight battle that will be the main event of UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, August 30, 2020.
The supremely confident Rakic said he was ready for the long grind of a five-round fight but opined that it may not be necessary because he’s capable of finishing his opponent early.
“Yes, I’m very happy to be in (the) main event fight. I’m really prepared. When I got the information that I’m gonna be main event. They asked us to do five rounds. I was not against. You know, I’m ready and I can go five (rounds). Maybe we don’t need three rounds. Maybe we need one or two rounds but I’m ready for three rounds or five,” said Rakic in an online interview.
The 28-year-old Austrian has reason to be confident. He has strung together 12 consecutive victories—capped by two electrifying knockout victories over Jimi Manuwa and Devin Clark—that was snapped only by a controversial split decision loss to Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Fight Night 165 on December 21, 2019 at Sajik Arena, Busan, South Korea.
“Everybody knows who won that fight in Korea against Volkan. You know. The UFC knows. After this fight, two months (later), they send me a contract. I signed a new contract and then a couple of months later I get a name… Anthony Smith. And how they treat me and how they give me opponents. They knew I won that fight. The whole world knows I won. Let’s get to Anthony now,” said Rakic.
“I respect Anthony. He’s really a true warrior. I watched Anthony fight against Glover. He started really well. In the second he got caught. Big respect for Anthony. He’s a true ‘Lionheart’ like he claimed, you know. He took everything.”
Meanwhile, Robbie Lawler takes on Neil Magny at Welterweight in the co-main event.
In other fights of the Main Card Ji Yeon Kim battles Alexa Grasso in Women’s Flyweight; Ricardo Lamas takes on Bill Algeo at Featherweight; and Magomed Ankalaev faces Ion Cutelaba at Light Heavyweight.
In the Preliminary Card Maki Pitol takes on Impa Kasanganay at Middleweight; Mallory Martin fights Hannah Cifers at Women’s Strawweight; and Alessio Di Chirico battles Zak Cummings at Middleweight.
In other matches of the Preliminary Card Alex Caceres faces Giga Chikadze at Featherweight; Polyana Viana takes on Emily Whitemire at Women’s Strawweight; and Sean Brady battles Christian Aguilera at Welterweight.
