Aleksandar Rakic | Refueled ‘Rocket’ Ready To Take Off
Early in the third round of that fight, Rakic suffered a knee injury that would sideline him for well over a year. When he returned at UFC 300, he was stopped by Jiri Prochazka, and six months later, he dropped a decision to Magomed Ankalaev. One year after that, he stepped in with then-unbeaten Russian Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 321, falling once again.
“Oh man — I’ve been through a dark time, heavy time in my last years,” Rakic said, reflecting on his extended losing streak, which has left his record at 14-6 heading into this weekend’s pairing with Tybura. “I fought the best of the best in the light heavyweight division, and I was not always 100 percent, but it doesn’t matter. Everybody loses in a lifetime, and the guys who retired undefeated, they would lose at some point also.
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“I think it’s better if you’re fighting and winning, and then losing and coming back, winning, and maybe win the title,” he continued, finding a positive spin to put on his recent struggles. “This is a great story, and it shows you what you are made for; if you are mentally strong enough to overcome this because let’s be honest: the people like winners; nobody likes losers.
“This is part of the game, and my last win is five years ago,” added Rakic. “I will give everything for the victory on Saturday night, especially in front of my home crowd. I’m ready to put on a good fight and to win, to make myself happy and put this pressure off my shoulders, because there is a lot of pressure coming off a four-fight losing streak.
