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#4. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic
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One week after their pay-per-view, the promotion returns to the Apex for a UFC on ESPN event. Former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz returns to the octagon, where he takes on Alexsandar Rakic.
The fight with Rakic will be Blachowicz’s first since losing the title to Glover Texeira in October 2021. The Apex has been kind to him so far, as that’s where he handed Israel Adesanya his first and only career loss. Rakic, on the other hand, has had a stellar MMA career. His career began with a submission loss, but he bounced back and won his next 12 with ten of them being finishes.
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Although his winning streak ended with a split decision loss to Volkan Oezdemir, Rakic didn’t get discouraged. ‘Rocket’ has since won back-to-back fights against former title challengers Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos. Both wins came via unanimous decision, so he has proved that he can go the distance with top-ranked 205-pounders.
#3. UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas vs. Carla Esparza 2
Reigning UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas will have an opportunity to get revenge when she defends against Carla Esparza at UFC 274. There is history between them as they competed in The Ultimate Fighter season 20 finale. It was a significant night for the promotion as they crowned their inaugural strawweight champion.
Esparza was viewed as the favorite and proved it as she dictated the fight. Both women were clearly at different stages of their development, and ‘Cookie Monster’ got her hand raised following a rear-naked choke.
Since TUF 20 finale, ‘Thug Rose’ has significantly improved in all areas. The two-time strawweight champion has proved that she can overcome adversity in the octagon. Both women are coming into the fight with winning streaks. Namajunas has won three straight, while Esparza has won five.
