Justin Ledet
Age: 29
Nationality: American
MMA Record: 9-0, 1 NC
UFC Record: 3-0
Notable Wins: Chase Sherman, Mark Godbeer
Notable Losses: None
Last Fight: Split decision win over Zu Anyanwu
Fighter Profile: A well-rounded fighter who was undefeated as a heavyweight, Ledet decided he is better off at light heavyweight and will be making the move down a weight class for this bout. As a heavywight we saw that Ledet was a very talented fighter with good striking skills and a surprisingly slick submission game, but he wasn’t the biggest guy for the weight class and may be better off down a division. He is a very talented fighter who is fun to watch and with a couple of wins could be top-15 at 205lbs.
Aleksandar Rakic
Age: 26
Nationality: Austrian
MMA Record: 9-1
UFC Record: 1-0
Notable Wins: Francimar Barroso, Marcin Prachnio
Notable Losses: None
Last Fight: Decision win over Francimar Barroso
Fighter Profile: A fighter who had plenty of success on the European regional scene, Rakic made his UFC debut last year and dominated Barroso to pick up his first win in the UFC. Rakic is pretty well-rounded but primarily likes to strike with his opponents and for the most part he’s had plenty of success with a number of knockout wins. His level of competition hasn’t been great but he has looked pretty impressive for the most part. He needs a couple more wins to get a ranking in the top-15, though, and a finish would help. Beating a guy like Ledet who is undefeated will go a long way towards helping him achieve that goal as well.
Fight Breakdown: This is a really solid fight between two up-and-coming light heavyweights with a lot of potential. It’s not an easy one to pick, but I do favor Ledet in this fight. I’ve just been a bit more impressed with his performances inside the Octagon. I think he’s a bit of a cleaner striker and also I would give him the advantage on the ground. I wouldn’t completely write off Rakic by any means as I think he’s talented as well, but I think Ledet is a guy who is going to be knocking on the door of the top-15 very soon. Rakic seems to be quite durable so I don’t know if Ledet gets the finish, but at the end of 15 minutes I see him getting his hand raised by decision.
Prediction: Justin Ledet via decision
