Aleksandar Rakic thinks he got robbed.
Rakic (17-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) was narrowly defeated by Volkan Oezdemir (12-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) this past weekend in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN+ 23, suffering his first loss in the UFC.
Known for fast starts, Rakic came out aggressively and landed solid shots, testing Oezdemir’s chin early. But perfectly executed leg kicks by Oezdemir paid dividends in the latter rounds, as he was able to slow down Rakic’s offense, causing a massive welt on his leg.
Both fighters continued to trade throughout the fight, but after the scorecards were rendered, Oezdemir was awarded the split decision win after three hard-fought rounds.
It was Rakic’s first loss in over eight years, a fight he’s confident he won. He took to Instagram to share his thoughts.
That is the feeling what i have right NOW!!
He won on the papers but we all know who the REAL winner is.
No Excuses i will work my ass off to show my fans what I am capable of.
After a 4-0 start in the UFC and back-to-back finishes, Rakic was emerging as one of the top light heavyweight contenders. The loss to Oezdemir is a hard pill to swallow for the 27-year-old Austrian, who saw a momentary halt to his momentum.
Aleksandar Rakic reacts to Volkan Oezdemir loss: 'We all know who the real winner is'
