Ilia Topuria put Spain on the combat sports map in a big way when he won the 145 lbs world title at UFC 298. Since then, talks of the UFC going to the country for a PPV have been gaining serious traction. Now, what if there was another star who could replicate the feat and put another European nation on the map this year?

Aleksandar Rakić is all set to go up against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 300. Rakic was earlier scheduled to meet Jan Blachowicz at UFC 297 for a rematch after suffering a loss against him back in 2022. However, the fight getting canceled turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the light heavyweight.  As he prepares for a potential title eliminator, it would be interesting to know which country the 32-year-old will be bringing fame and glory to.

What is Aleksandar Rakić’s Ethnicity?

Aleksandar Rakić was born in Vienna, Austria, but he is of Serbian descent. In the UFC, however, he reps Austria. This makes sense considering he has spent most of his life in the country.

Rakic finished his schooling in Austria and was also a state champion in Kickboxing there. As a child, he was really into playing football. However, he was shown the door by the team because he was just too aggressive for it all. The next sports he found himself feeling inclined towards were ones where he could show aggression all he wanted.

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At about the age of 12, Rakić started training in boxing and kickboxing. By the time he was 20 years old, he had already fought 40 times, and not much later, he decided to transition to MMA.

In fact, the Austrian even worked at a hotel just to support himself through all the training. So, how exactly did he start getting into MMA? Here’s his journey after his initial interest in fighting just simply branched out into what we see today.

How did ‘Rocket’ start MMA?

Aleksandar Rakić was already interested in boxing and kickboxing early on and at the age of 16, when he met Muay Thai specialist Günter Strasser, his journey in the sport started taking off. The gym he met him at was called Fight Club Vienna.

At the age of 20, he finally turned professional, giving all his training and amateur bouts the credit that they deserved. He joined the UFC with an 8-1 MMA record garnered over 6 years, in events held in Austria and Germany. If he earns a shot at the UFC 205 lbs title, fans can expect ‘Rocket’ to call for a PPV in his home country for the same.

Rakić is ready to take on one of the biggest fighters in the history of the light heavyweight division. Does he have what it takes to get the job done? Let us know your fighter pick in the comments.

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