Aleksandar Rakic continued his climb up the UFC ladder with a dominant unanimous decision victory at Light Heavyweight over Anthony Smith in the main event of UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, August 30, 2020.
A fearsome striker Rakic demonstrated a well-rounded game when he took down Anthony and then mounted him several times in the three-round fight.
“Everybody underestimate my grappling and wrestling. But I’ve been working on my wrestling especially the past few months. I brought a new coach, a wrestler. I showed the world that I am not only a dangerous striker. I can wrestle. I can dominate on the ground. These guys need to take me seriously. I am in the top 5 now,” said Rakic in the post-fight interview.
Both fighters traded chopping leg kicks early in the first round until Rakic used his right foot to unload a pair of vicious leg kicks on Smith’s lead left leg which dropped him to the floor.
Rakic then clamped down with an attempted guillotine which Smith escaped from. Rakic pushed Smith against the cage and then mounted him into full guard.
In the second round Smith connected with a pair of lead rights which appeared to briefly rock Rakic. Unfazed, Rakic again used his strength to bring Smith down into the canvas and mounted him, this time at the center of the Octagon.
The third round was a repetition of the first two round as Rakic continued to mount a strategic and composed fight, content to coast to victory.
The 28-year-old Austrian tallied his 13th victory in his last 14 fights where he suffered a controversial split decision loss to Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Fight Night 165 on December 21, 2019 at Sajik Arena, Busan, South Korea.
Meanwhile, Neil Magny won by unanimous decision over Robbie Lawler at Welterweight in the co-main event.
In other fights of the Main Card Alexa Grasso made a successful debut at Women’s Flyweight with a decision victory of Ji Yeon Kim; and Ricardo Lamas won by decision over Bill Algeo at Featherweight.
In the Preliminary Card Impa Kasanganay beat Maki Pitol by decision at Middleweight; and Zak Cummings won by decision over Alessio Di Chirico at Middleweight.
In other matches of the Preliminary Card Alex Caceres submitted substitute fighter Austin Springer at Featherweight; Sean Brady won by submission over Christian Aguilera at Welterweight; Polyana Viana submitted Emily Whitmire at Women’s Strawweight; and Mallory Martin won by submission over Hannah Cifers at Women’s Strawweight.