Light heavyweight contenders Jiri Prochazka and Aleksandar Rakic are expressing interest in facing each other after recent developments in their scheduled fights. Rakic was originally set to face Jan Blachowicz at UFC 297, but the bout was canceled due to Blachowicz suffering an injury in training. Following this, Rakic quickly turned his attention to Jiri Prochazka, who recently failed to capture the vacant title against Alex Pereira at UFC 295.
Rakic proposed a matchup with Prochazka, suggesting a fight date on February 17. Prochazka responded positively to the idea but mentioned his unavailability for the proposed January 20 date. Rakic, growing impatient, questioned Prochazka’s “samurai code” in a follow-up tweet.
Prochazka continued to express interest in the matchup and suggested a specific date: March 9 at UFC 299, rumored to take place in Miami. Rakic has been out of action for over 19 months since his last fight against Blachowicz, where he suffered a leg injury. On the other hand, Prochazka aims to bounce back from his recent loss to Pereira.
Meanwhile, Blachowicz, who was initially set to face Rakic, responded to the situation with insults, asserting that Rakic cried after their previous encounter and is now complaining about Blachowicz’s injury. The tensions and potential matchups in the light heavyweight division continue to unfold as fighters jockey for position and opportunities.