Aleksandar Rakic is coming off two consecutive losses but finds himself in perhaps the most enviable position in the light heavyweight division. After all, ‘Rocket’ is set to face #2 ranked (and the clear title contender) Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 308 on October 26. If he can win the bout, Rakic will dethrone Ankalaev and take his place as the most deserving fighter for a title shot.

And the Austrian 205-pounder is going all out, sparing no expense to get ready for probably the most consequential fight of his career so far. In an Instagram Story, Rakic showed off the level of his preparation for the Ankalaev clash, showing off his absolutely jacked physique.

To be fair the #5 ranked light heavyweight is one of the more shredded fighters in the entire division with six-pack abs, sinewy obliques, and the works. But he seems to have put on even more muscle while being shredded as ever for UFC 308. And for good reason.

Ankalaev, who is on a twelve-fight undefeated run is a problem. While primarily a striker, the Dagestani can more than hold his own on the ground, as he showed in his UFC 282 title clash against Polish wrestling juggernaut Jan Blachowicz. In this way, he is pretty similar to Rakic, who also likes to do most of his work on the feet but is a beast on the ground too.

And it is perhaps because Rakic expects to do a fair bit of grappling, that he has decided to put on all this muscle. Since Anakalev-Rakic is so consequential for the light heavyweight division, and such a mouth-watering matchup, fans had a lot to say about Rakic’s gains.

Fans react to swole Aleksandar Rakic ahead of UFC 308

Whenever a fighter looks more buff than usual, some fans’ first instinct, of course, is to accuse said fighter of using PEDs. Predictably, Rakic’s physique has elicited similar reactions, with one fan on X demanding the UFC “Test him right now.”

Ankalaev, many fans feel has been passed over for a title shot twice at this point. After all, the Dagestani has been the clear title contender for the entirety of this year, but curiously has not been one of the three opponents champ Alex Pereira has faced in 2024. And fans think this is because the UFC is ‘protecting’ ‘Poatan’ from Ankalaev, who at least has the skills to take Pereira down and maul him there.

In this context it was very amusing to see one fan theorize that the UFC was giving Rakic performance enhancers to make sure he beats Ankalaev, thus knocking the Dagestani out of title contention: “The UFC is giving him gear so that he can beat Ankalaev.” Of course, being jacked doesn’t help with one’s striking (except perhaps making it marginally more powerful) as one fan correctly pointed out, predicting a dire fate for Rakic at UFC 308: “That don’t mean anything. He’s still gonna get knocked out.”

The theme of PEDs is a recurring one in the fans’ reactions to Rakic’s impressive gains, with one stupefied fan wondering what kind of stuff the Austrian powerhouse was on: “What is he injecting F***ing rockets?” What are your thoughts on Rakic’s improved physique? Does he have what it takes to slay the Dagestani? Tell us your views in the comment section below!