Aleksandar Rakic Injury: ACL Tear, Surgery, and All About UFC Star’s Setback

Aleksandar Rakic is all set to go up against former light-heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka. Rakic last fought against Jan Blachowicz, and that match ended in a tragic loss. Tragic in the sense that Rakic not only lost but lost because of a brutal injury.

Now, Rakic has recovered from it enough and is looking to face Jiri Prochazka, who also recently returned from a devastating injury to fight Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title. That was a losing bout, and perhaps, now, the winner could decide the next challenger. So, just how serious of a problem is Rakic’s injury?

Aleksandar Rakic’s ACL Injury

Aleksandar Rakic might go up against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 300. But it was his 2022 Fight Night main event that put him away from the cage for good. Blachowicz worked his calf up for most of the fight. However, by the third round, perhaps his leg had suffered enough.

In the third and final round, Rakic stepped back on his knee, and one could see the moment it popped and buckled under the fighter’s weight. However, had the injury not stopped Aleksandar Rakic, he could have made it all work and even potentially knocked Blachowicz out.

In fact, he had managed to open up a cut under Blachowicz’s eye. And the opponent wasn’t about to let it go unanswered, either. The fight was a main-event-worthy battle, and fans were loving it all. Unfortunately, the knee injury stopped it all.

In a video post-fight, Aleksandar Rakic could be seen returning to his room defeated and heartbroken. His knee had given out, and it turned out to be an ACL injury that would take some time to heal. However, it was his revelation regarding the injury that attracted many eyes.

Rakic’s shocking revelations about his injury

Aleksandar Rakic was visibly in tears after the disappointing loss. He was not expecting things to go the way they did, but perhaps he should have. In a video later, he revealed that this wasn’t the first time his right knee had given out.

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“It happens, you know, what can I do? God had other plans with me tonight. My knee popped, my right knee.” He said, “This knee I injured three weeks ago on a training, in a sparring. It happened. You know it’s not a lie, it happened…The knee wasn’t 100 percent. I thought it was.” This oversight caused him the match.

Doctor examines Aleksandar Rakic’s surgery

Dr. Brian Sutterer of the famous Mayo Clinic broke down Rakic’s injury during the main event fight. Sutterer pinpointed the moment his shinbone readjusted to its proper position, leading the knee to pop and get hurt badly.

“Of course, Rakic’s lead leg – his left leg – was getting beaten up all night by Blachowicz, but this was actually the right leg. If you look closely, here, you can actually see the pop. What we’re seeing there is essentially the tibia, or the shinbone, that’s displaced forward or anterior, and all of a sudden right there, pops back into its proper position.” 

Now, Rakic has come back from all the pain and is set to take down Prochazka. Will he succeed? What are your thoughts?

Also Read: “Rakic by Whatever He Wants”, “Jan via Polish Power”- Fans Divided as Aleksandar Rakic Gets a Chance at Redemption Against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 297