Much better prospect than the currently hot Johnny Walker. Can do everything and has a killer workrate and high fight IQ to boot which means a constant improvement from fight to fight is almost a given. Manuwa isn't going to get stopped here(he might late) but Im expecting Rakic to dominate in all aspects of MMA en route to a 30-25 UD win.
I agree he wins impressively on the weekend but I'm not quite on the same page about him being a much better prospect then the white hot Walker who will be probably be fighting for a title after 1 -2 more fights
I like Walker but we've seen guys like him come and go. a few impressive finishes and everyone is talking about them and then they start to fizz out. Not saying he's a bum or anything just have the feeling his career will end up like Oezdemirs sooner or later. Need to see how he reacts when in trouble and when he can't get a guy out of there early.
Coming out party for him and going out party for Gus. a lot of changes in the division but none that matter as nobody is beating Jones. **** knows who comes out on top if he goes up in 2020.
Rakic would arguably be the one fighting for a belt if he didn't get robbed against Oezdemir. I think he matches up the best against Jones and will probably end up being the one who ends Jones reign if he gets a crack at him before he's knocked off. Don't see Blachowicz doing it. He's tough but doesn't have the size or skillset needed to beat Jones. Rakic with his workrate, good striking fundimentals and size matches up very well with Jones.
In a weak division of course Walkers winning streak was going to stand out,especially the way he was winning and while I was wrong about him fighting for a title within a few fights,I never really pumped him up that much or made him out to be more then he is which is an extremely dangerous fighter early on,who has obvious limitations and much to work on but time still on his side, considering his young he is and how relatively late he got into fighting. My predictions had as much to do with a weak division where anybody stringing together 3-4 wins becomes an instant contender and I actually agreed with most of what you said about Raksic apart from him being a much better prospect then Walker who we both also agreed had been on a hot run at the time to get himself 1-2 wins from getting a title shot.
The one thing the contenders lack which Jon Jones has is elite level defense. Rakic looks pretty easy to hit clean to me even though he's a good contender.
Yeah I agree while Jones last couple fights obviously haven't been great especially his output,which has been way above anybody in that division for years but his striking defense has improved and he looks much harder to hit ,to go with his TD defence which is the best in the whole UFC. Could definitely see Raksic as future contender and even winning the title eventually, but it won't be beating Jones imo and he will have to wait till Jones has retired or moved up to heavyweight.
Jones arguably lost to Santos a former MW and Reyes. Santos has been knocked out several times. It's not going to take a near perfect fighter to unseat Jones at this point.
Rakic was disgracefully robbed against Oezdemir but it will only slow down the inevitable. This Saturday he ends Smith's career in devastating fashion and let's his presence in the wide open landscape that is now LHW be known.
Looks like Walker will be lucky if he's on the UFC roster this time next year if he takes a loss against Spann. That's a don't blink fight. Both guys are dangerous glass cannons.
