Aleksandar Rakic Moves to UFC Heavyweight for Belgrade Fight

Aleksandar Rakic, a 34‑year‑old former light‑heavyweight who has competed in the UFC since 2017, announced he will debut at heavyweight on 1 August at UFC Belgrade. After two decades of cutting up to 39 pounds to make the 205‑lb limit, doctors warned the regimen was unsustainable, prompting Rakic to move up to avoid the health toll of extreme weight cuts.

His first heavyweight opponent is 39‑year‑old Polish veteran Marcin Tybura. Rakic said the change will allow him to eat, drink and train without the two‑month recovery periods that followed each cut, and he expects to fight more frequently, potentially as soon as October in Abu Dhabi. Entering the bout on a four‑fight losing streak, Rakic expressed confidence that the heavier division will showcase a healthier, more energetic version of himself in front of his home crowd in Serbia.