Aleksandar Rakic has weighed in on the upcoming fight between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane thatβll take place at UFC 270. Rakic noted that most people would likely pick UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou to win the fight.
He added, however, that interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane is a high-level fighter. βRocketβ insinuated that Ganeβs defensive skills could be the difference-maker in the fight. Aleksandar Rakic explained that Gane could out-point Ngannou and win the fight. In an interview with James Lynch, Rakic stated:
βThatβs a very interesting fight β Former, two teammates. And I think, yeah, probably, a lot of guys would say Francis Ngannou. But we saw Ciryl Gane is a very high-level fighter, with a high fighting IQ. And if he can make miss Francis with the big power shots and out-strike him, I think Ciryl can get the W.β
Reigning UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will face interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane in a title unification fight at UFC 270 on January 22nd. The winner of this matchup will emerge as the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion and likely defend the title against MMA legend Jon Jones in 2022.
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Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane used to be training partners under the guidance of coach Fernand Lopez at the MMA Factory gym. Ngannou parted ways with Lopez and the MMA Factory a few years back and currently trains at Xtreme Couture under head coach Eric Nicksick.
Watch Aleksandar Rakic give his prediction for the Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane matchup in the video below:
Aleksandar Rakicβs next fight has title implications in the UFC light heavyweight division
Aleksandar Rakic is scheduled to fight Jan Blachowicz in a five round light heavyweight bout thatβll headline a UFC Fight Night card on March 26th. Blachowicz is a former UFC light heavyweight champion who lost his title to Glover Teixeira via second round submission at UFC 267 back in October.
The consensus is that a win over Jan Blachowicz could catapult Aleksandar Rakic into a UFC light heavyweight title matchup. UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira is expected to defend his title against Jiri Prochazka next. Needless to say, βRocket,β who has long been lobbying for a title shot, is now just one win away from it.
Aleksandar Rakic has consistently maintained that heβs the best light heavyweight in the world. The 29-year-oldβs professional MMA record stands at an impressive 14-2, and heβs been touted by many as a future UFC 205-pound champion.
Provided that he wins his next fight, Rakic will fight the Teixeira-Prochazka winner for the UFC light heavyweight title in 2022.
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