Aleksandar Rakic will have to undergo surgery after hospital scans revealed that he had suffered a torn ACL during his fight with Jan Blachowicz at UFC On ESPN 36 this past weekend in Las Vegas.
Rakic had been involved in a highly competitive battle with former light-heavyweight champ Blachowicz prior to the freak injury early in the third round, which occurred out of nowhere as he stepped back onto his right leg, before suddenly his limb buckled and he fell to the mat in pain, leading to the fight being waved off, resulting in an unfortunate TKO loss.
The confirmation that it was an ACL tear means that the 30-year-old could be out of action for around 6-12 months, which will keep the No.3 ranked light-heavyweight contender’s title challenge hopes on ice for the time being.
Rakic had entered into the fight with Blachowicz off of back-to-back victories over Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith, but his latest defeat now leaves him with a 6-2 record overall since joining the UFC in 2017.
For now Rakic must focus on healing up, but he’s already made it clear that once he’s back to 100% he’ll be seeking a rematch with Blachowicz.
“One thing I promise you, I will be back better than ever!” Rakic wrote on Instagram. “This is not over yet. Unfinished business. Rematch! I waited for you to heal. Now you wait for me to heal. Let’s run it back!.”
