UFC 259 results: Aleksandar Rakic ​​Thiago Santos decisions in snoozer

Light Heavyweight title contender Thiago Santos was back in action tonight (Saturday, March 6, 2021) against surging rival Aleksandar Rakic ​​kicking off a pay-per-view main card (PPV) UFC 259 inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. “Marreta” was hoping to recover in a 205-pound title chase after losing a bid to Glover Teixeira in November 2020; however, the high Austrian striker was not about to make it easy.

In fact, Rakic ​​fought very patiently, staying on the outside and avoiding the power blows to escape with a close unanimous decision to win.

Rakic ​​looked to emphasize the early action, support the Brazilian and try to add a corner to the front of the fence. Santos circled out with a low kick as the pair carried it back to the middle of the cage. Rakic ​​stopped with a nice low kick, as Santos advanced with a big missing right hand. More low kicks from Rakic, perhaps targeting those surgically repaired knees. Santos, unknowingly, gave the body a hard kick, while Rakic ​​waited patiently for an opening. Santos smashed it with a hard left hand, however, with Rakic ​​facing it with more low kicks. Rakic ​​avoided the big strikes and collected some points with the judges by attacking his leg from the outside.

The two fighters met on gloves to start the second verse, with Santos’ corner urging him to be more aggressive. Rakic ​​again with the low kick, however, looked back at Santos again into the fence. Shovel hook and low kick combination from Rakic, with Santos cautious in the first 90 seconds. Rakic ​​grabbed Santos against the fence, loading body images into Santos’ bread basket. Santos whipped out then nailed Rakic ​​with a hard kick outside. Santos felt relieved and relieved, but did not pull the trigger. Rakic ​​landed with a hard bullet up the stairs and then lost with a flying knee at the buzzard.

Third round and final and it seemed like Rakic ​​was up on points – Santos definitely had to work in the final five minutes. Rakic ​​was warned slyly about his fingers before the action began. Santos came out more aggressive with a low kick and a missed punch. Rakic ​​used the move to grab Santos and crush him against the cage. Santos gave a face kick and then a hard kick to the body, which was unlike Rakic. A one-two combination from Rakic, with Santos firing back with another hard body kick. He landed with another man just lost with a big right hook. Two minutes left and Rakic ​​finally entered a one-legged sled, but Santos defended well against the fence and even on land cut short views inside. Santos was also able to get into a hard knee until Rakic ​​gave up the final attempt. And that was pretty much it – there wasn’t too much urgency from any of the fighters.

It was like a tough fight to get a score with Santos actually putting on more important strikes, but Rakic ​​going the distance all over. The judges were almost all on the same scoring-wise page, eventually giving the nod to Rakic, who got his brown jiu-jitsu belt after reading the decision.

Ho-hum …


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