Volkan Oezdemir vs. Aleksandar Rakic…
Two of light heavyweights top contenders will throw down at UFC Busan this weekend. The card will take place in South Korea and be headlined by a fight between Frankie Edgar and ‘Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung. However, these two European stars of the 205lb division could well steal the show.
Despite being a former challenger for the title at 205lbs and also better ranked than his opponent Oezdemir enters the fight an underdog. You can find the Swiss power puncher priced at +130. The rising star Rakic is a significant favourite with the bookmakers who have him at -145 in this co-main event match up.
With phenomenal statistics to back up his amazing odds, he surely will attract many bettors to his side. Aleksandar Rakic is undefeated since losing his professional debut back in 2011. The Austrian has since put together a 12-fight win streak and become one of the hottest prospects in MMA.
Aleksandar Rakic is undefeated since losing his professional debut back in 2011. The Austrian has since put together a 12-fight win streak and become one of the hottest prospects in MMA. At just 27-years-old he already has four wins inside the UFC and appears to be about to hit his peak. Last time out he made amazingly quick work of British heavy hitter Jimi Manuwa.
Rakic nailed his opponent with a head kick early in the first round and that was all it took. Manuwa was left unconscious on the mat and quickly announced his retirement afterwards. The #12 ranked light heavyweight will now face the biggest test of his career when he squares off against the hard hitting, experienced and talented Volkan ‘No Time’ Oezdemir who’ll enter the octagon with a lot of confidence.
After dropping three straight fights many had written off Oezdemir as a top contender. However closer inspection lets you see the Swiss kickboxer was unlucky to have lost three in a row. The judges had robbed him of victory against another rising star in Dominick Reyes, who now faces light heavyweight champion Jon Jones next year. With some decent judges that could well have been Oezdemir fighting again for the title. Last time out he bounced back and got in the win column.
At UFC Montevideo, Uruguay in August he made a statement by dispatching of Ilir Latifi in brutal fashion. During the second round of the fight he landed a devastating left hook, before landing another once his opponent had hit the mat. And that’s all she wrote. The KO clearly impressed the UFC bosses who awarded Oezdemir with a $50,000 performance of the night bonus. He’ll now hope to make it two in a row and begin his climb back up to the top of the 205lb rankings.
This fight promises to be an all-out war for as long as it lasts. Oezdemir vs. Rakic will see two of the divisions biggest and baddest fighters throw down. Both guys love to stand, and we’ll get to see elite level striking on display. They will exchange blows for as long as this fight lasts. Just make sure you don’t blink or you might miss an epic knockout from either man in this one.
