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The main event of UFC Vegas 54 sees a past UFC champion take on a potential future UFC champion. Jan Blachowicz looks to get back on track against the surging Aleksandar Rakic. The two Europeans will be locked into the small cage at UFC Apex and both men pack a lot of power. This is a classic booking that's meant to act as either a changing of the guard or a grim reminder that you're not ready for the top yet. Blachowicz has a classic boxing style and packs big power, ‘Polish Power' as it's called by fans of the former champion.
Rakic is a well-rounded fighter that is capable of keeping things standing or grinding you out to earn a decision. This has the making of a really fun fight or a frustrating one-sided affair. It will have to be seen which man can impose his will and get things done.
Jan Blachowicz is the former UFC light heavyweight champion and he'll be looking to get right back in the title conversation. This is a very dangerous fight for him and would signal the end of his title hunt with a loss. The Polish fighter is coming off of a very strange loss to Glover Teixeira that saw him perform very poorly. He was hurt on the feet and quickly submitted. Before that, he was on a great run that saw him record a stoppage over Dominick Reyes and current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. He does his best work on the feet using his power and couples it well with his wrestling to use a well-rounded approach. He'll be looking to get back on track against a hyped prospect.
Aleksandar Rakic is a fun light heavyweight prospect that's looking for a big win to prove he belongs in the title picture. He hasn't fought in over a year and will be looking to remind everyone of his skills. Many people have been excited about Rakic and he's had some very interesting moments in the UFC. On one end, he's scored huge knockouts over Jimi Manuwa and Devin Clark, on the other end, he's had very forgettable fights with Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith. The Austrian has a background in kickboxing and boxing. He's not afraid to go to the ground if he needs to and packs a lot of power on the feet. Many are calling him a future champion and this fight is going to be very important for him to determine where he stands in the division.
Here are the UFC Vegas 54 odds, featuring our Jan Blachowicz-Aleksandar Rakic prediction, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Vegas 54 Odds: Jan Blachowicz-Aleksandar Rakic Odds
Jan Blachowicz (+166)
Aleksandar Rakic (-198)
Over 4.5 rounds (+104)
Under 4.5 rounds (-132)
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How Jan Blachowicz Wins The Fight At UFC Vegas 54
The former light heavyweight champion has a big challenge in front of him at UFC Vegas 54 against Aleksandar Rakic. The Polish fighter would prefer to keep this fight on the feet and chip away at the Austrian with his body shots and leg kicks. It's a weakness in Rakic's game and it's what Blachowicz will be looking to utilize in this one. His offensive wrestling will be a factor if Rakic proves to be too much on the feet. The key is to take the early rounds as there are some questions in the Polish fighter's cardio the longer the fight goes. His power is going to be a factor but Rakic has a good chin and should take most of his shots.
The veteran will be looking to utilize a similar game plan to the Israel Adesanya fight. Utilize the jab and use the wrestling to tire out the younger fighter. The bodywork is going to force Rakic to make a decision and that's where Blachowicz will need to work to keep things on the feet. His path to victory is either by TKO while in top control on the ground or by decision in a close one.
How Aleksandar Rakic Wins The Fight At UFC Vegas 54
The Austrian light heavyweight has a big opportunity to score a big win and potentially earn a title shot. He's well-rounded and has the opportunity to find the victory in different ways. The big factor in this one has to be the wrestling. Blachowicz has good offensive wrestling but he has had problems with fighters that are able to hold him down and get on top. Rakic has that facet in his game and will have to see how things go on the feet if he wants to use his wrestling. He has good power and Blachowicz did show some problems taking Glover Teixeira's power in his last fight.
Rakic has to keep control of the fight and stay active. He has good power, he's long, and has a good strength advantage over most of his opponents. He most likely keeps things on the feet and looks for takedowns towards the end of the rounds in order to secure the scorecards. The Austrian either finds the TKO or takes the fight by decision.
Final Jan Blachowicz-Aleksandar Rakic Prediction & Pick
This fight has the potential to be a really fun kickboxing match or a really frustrating grind-fest. The x-factor is in who is going to choose to wrestle and control the fight. Aleksandar Rakic has big power and a very well-rounded game. Jan Blachowicz has power as well but doesn't seem to take it as well as Rakic. The first round will most likely go to the Polish fighter as he'll look to control things early and stop Rakic from finding his rhythm after not fighting for over a year.
Rakic should start to take over in the second round as his power and wrestling will ultimately be too much for the aging Blachowicz. The Austrian most likely finds the finish after the second round and uses a mix of wrestling combined with landing powerful shots to ultimately find the TKO finish over the former champion to earn himself a title shot.
Final Jan Blachowicz-Aleksandar Rakic Pick: Aleksandar Rakic wins by knockout in the third round.
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