Aleksandar Rakic Rocket

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Fighter bio

Aleksandar Rakic – General Profile

Aleksandar “Rocket” Rakic (born February 6, 1992 in Vienna, Austria) is an Austrian mixed martial artist competing in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. Standing 6′4″ (193 cm) with a 78″ reach, he fights out of American Top Team Zagreb and holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu‑Jitsu under Roberto Pastuch. As of June 24, 2025, he is ranked #7 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings.

MMA Career

• Professional since 2011, Rakic compiled an 8–1 record on the European circuit before joining the UFC in 2017.
• Since debuting in the UFC, he has achieved notable wins over fighters such as Jimi Manuwa (by head-kick KO), Thiago Santos, and Anthony Smith.
• Rakic suffered setbacks from injuries, losing to Jan Blachowicz in May 2022 via TKO (ACL injury), then to Jiri Procházka at UFC 300 via second-round TKO in April 2024, and to Magomed Ankalaev by unanimous decision at UFC 308 in October 2024.
• To date, he holds a pro record of 14 wins and 5 losses, with 9 wins by KO/TKO, 1 by submission, and 4 by decision.

Fighting Style

Rakic is a physically imposing striker who employs a European-style muay Thai/kickboxing approach. He uses feints, low kicks, and bursts of combinations to control range and damage opponents’ legs. Although his jab is minimal, he effectively disrupts timing and creates openings through movement.

Personal & Background

Born and raised in Vienna to a Serbian family, Rakic began training in kickboxing and boxing at age 12 and had over 40 amateur fights before transitioning to MMA at age 19. He supported his early training by working as a waiter.

Recent Developments

After returning from a two-year layoff due to injury, Rakic lost to Jiri Procházka at UFC 300 but stated that the time off helped him refine his skills and rebuild confidence in his knee.

His unanimous decision loss to Ankalaev at UFC 308 was seen as a turning point: despite physical tools and technical skill, pundits questioned his finishing power and confidence. Rakic remains in the top‑10 but continues searching for consistency and a resurgence toward title contention.