ABU DHABI: Aleksandar Rakic is returning to Abu Dhabi with one goal in mind — redemption. The Austrian-Serbian light heavyweight is set to face the undefeated Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 321 — Aspinall v Gane on Oct. 25 at Etihad Arena — in a fight that could mark a major turning point in his career.
Rakic told Arab News: “I’m feeling excited, very, very excited. (I) can’t wait to step into the octagon. I mean, it’s been a while, but yes, ready to go, ready to rock and roll. Preparation is good. I feel good.”
Rakic has been preparing away from home, embracing a focused training routine in Serbia.
He said: “I’ve spent the last six weeks in Serbia training with my head coach there. I live in Vienna, Austria, but for the past six or seven weeks, and the next one will be the seventh, I’ve been in Serbia preparing for the fight. Just a spartan lifestyle: training, sleeping, eating, and that’s it. No distractions, no family, no kids, only focusing on the preparation for the fight.”
The weather, he added, had been a welcome balance before heading to the UAE. He said: “In Serbia, it was very hot for a long time. Only in the last two weeks did it get a little colder, but the sun is still shining, so it’s not that cold. But of course, I can’t wait to have the Abu Dhabi weather.”
The upcoming fight represents a new chapter for Rakic, who has overhauled his team and training methods since his last appearance in Abu Dhabi against Magomed Ankalaev.
The 33-year-old said: “After the last fight with Ankalaev one year ago, I completely changed my team. I have a new head coach and a new boxing coach, and I’ve been training with them since February this year.
“After the fight, I went to Thailand for a bit, a mix of vacation and training. But the training methods, I’ve changed them completely in this camp. It’s a lot of sparring, a ton of it. Every day grinding, every day sparring, every day working on timing and reaction. I’m not focusing so much now on strength and conditioning, but on getting the conditioning out of the fighting itself. That’s the biggest change I’ve made in the last year.”
Reflecting on his previous fight in Abu Dhabi, Rakic said the loss taught him valuable lessons and gave him a new mindset. He said: “If I didn’t lose the fight against Ankalaev I would not have seen some mistakes I made in my previous camps or realize that I needed change. Everything happens for a reason. God has a plan, and I’m thankful because now I feel very happy and I see improvements in my game over the last months.”
Murzakanov enters UFC 321 with an undefeated record, but Rakic remains unfazed.
“He’s not the first guy I’ve fought who is undefeated,” he said. “Everybody is beatable in this world and, for me, the record is not something I pay much attention to. Of course, he has a perfect record, and that’s something to respect, but I also think he hasn’t faced the kind of names that I’ve faced in my career already, and that makes a big difference. You can be undefeated, but if you haven’t fought former champions or top-ranked opponents, it doesn’t mean much to me.”
Rakic added that he is confident he will be the first to hand Murzakanov a professional loss.
He said: “I think I’m going to be the first, 100 percent. I will be very happy to be the first guy to beat Azamat in professional MMA.”
Rakic says he is ready for every scenario, and added: “I know Azamat’s style is most likely striker, but I am as well, so my background is striking. It depends what Azamat is going to give me. I’m ready wherever the fight goes.
“If it’s stand-up, if it’s the wrestling or the grappling part, it depends where the fight goes. It depends on his reaction to my action or my reaction to his action. I will try to make it as easy as I can for myself to not take a lot of damage, to be able to fight again very soon. But if the fight goes in a direction where it’s going to turn into a war, it should be a war.”
The Austrian-Serbian holds a special appreciation for the UAE’s capital, and said: “I’ve fought in many cities, you know, I’ve fought five times in Vegas, in Canada, in Korea, Europe, all over the world. But for sure, Abu Dhabi is No. 1 on my list. Hospitality, environment, how they respect the fighters, how they welcome the fighters; 100 percent Abu Dhabi is one of my favorite cities and countries where I want to fight more often in my career.”
He expects strong support from Serbia and Austria but welcomes all fans, saying: “A lot of fans from Serbia and Austria are going to be in the arena, and the whole country will be watching. I just want to thank everyone who believes in me, and even those supporting Azamat, because everything that makes the sport more popular makes me happy.”
With a renewed mindset, a rebuilt team, and the determination to prove himself once again, Rakic heads into UFC 321 with a clear purpose to make a statement.
“I think I’m going to be the first. I will be very happy to be the first guy to beat Azamat in professional MMA,” he said.
