Aleksander Rakic was able to outstrike Marcin Tybura tonight at UFC Fight Night 283 to win his heavyweight debut by unanimous decision.
Round One
Inside leg kick for Rakic to start and then a quick flurry of punches. He lands another kick on the inside.
Tybura looking to exchange now and Rakic goes to that same kick again. Tybura marching forward behind punches, but Rakic returns fire with a much crisper combination of punches to the body and head.
Rakic kick to the body now. He lands that again. Now a front kick to the midsection to vary things up.
Rakic comes forward and misses with a punch this time and Tybura just grazes the target with a counter.
Front kick to the body from Rakic. Tybura lunges forward with punches that don’t find the target.
Calf kick from Rakic. He lands another one and Tybura tries to counter, but his flurry doesn’t connect.
Right hand for Rakic. Rakic able to connect with a couple more rights as Tybura came forward.
Straight punch from Tybura. Now a punch from Rakic that knocked Tybura back a little.
Rakic threatens with a kick. Rakic tries for a front kick to the body again, but this time Tybura catches it. He’s able to get his limb free quickly though.
Round Two
Tybura trying to work some early kicks here, but not quite finding the mark. Rakic comes close with a spinning backfist attempt as Tybura lumbered forward.
Body kick for Tybura. Lunging hook from Tybura lands. Nice jab from Rakic and Tybura complains that was an eyepoke. The ref disagrees and they continue, but the replay suggests it was a poke.
Tybura ducks a couple of punches. Glancing right hand from Tybura. Front kick to the body from Rakic.
Calf kicks exchanged. Tybura looks to get into the thai clinch and lands a knee before backing off.
Calf kick for Tybura. Good body kick for Rakic. Nice left hand for Tybura. Both throw body kicks. Now they try to land leg kicks without much success.
Round Three
Right hands gets through for Rakic. Now a solid body kick for him, while Tybura lands a right hand.
Inside leg kick from Tybura. Nicely picked out right hand from Rakic. Rakic still the quicker of the two, but his output and combination work just hasn’t been at the same level as it was in the opening round.
Rakic clinches up now. He times a nice elbow strike. Now another gets through. A third lands.
Tybura trying to break free, but Rakic forces him to continue working from here. Knee strike from Tybura while Rakic had his head low.
Final minute now. Knee to the body from Rakic. He continues to press Tybura up against the cage as he looks to grind out some of the remaining time left on the clock.
A couple of knees to the body from Tybura. Ref steps in and warns Rakic for grabbing the cage repeatedly, forcing them to resume the final 10 seconds in the center of the Octagon.
Decision
Rakic started well here in his heavyweight debut, being faster and more technical in the striking exchanges, but the second round was closer as his output began to wane. Rakic implemented some grinding clinch-work to help get the better of the final five minutes though and emerges with a unanimous decision victory (30-27 x3).
