UFC on ESPN+ 33 features a battle of light heavyweight contenders as former title challenger Anthony Smith takes on the hard-hitting Aleksandar Rakic in the night’s main event. Smith (33-15 MMA, 8-4 UFC) is looking to bounce back to form after losing to Glover Teixeira in May in Jacksonville, Fla. Prior to that defeat, Smith had gone 4-1 as a UFC light heavyweight after moving up from 185 pounds in the summer of 2018. He’ll take on Austrian striker Rakic (12-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), whose unbeaten start to life in the UFC came to an end after losing a split-decision verdict to Volkan Oezdemir at UFC on ESPN+ 23 last December. With Jon Jones departing the 205-pound division, and with Dominick Reyes set to face Jan Blachowicz for the newly vacated title, both Smith and Rakic will be eyeing a tilt at the new champion, with both men potentially standing just one impressive win away from a shot at the gold
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Video: Dan Hardy breaks down Anthony Smith vs. Aleksandar Rakic at UFC on ESPN+ 33 – MMA Junkie