Serbian fighters have been making their mark in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA), with several athletes competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Their journeys, backgrounds, and achievements showcase the growing influence of Serbian fighters in the international MMA scene.
Here, we explore the careers of two prominent Serbian UFC fighters:
Aleksandar Rakić
Aleksandar Rakić (Serbian Cyrillic: Александар Ракић; born February 6, 1992) is a Serbian mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2011, Rakić has also competed for the Final Fight Championship in Austria.
Early Life and Background
Rakić was born and raised in Vienna, Austria, into a Serb family. As a child, he played football. However, he was aggressive up to a point where he was expelled from the team. Rakić started training in kickboxing and boxing when he was 12 years old, and had his first fight at 14. He accumulated over 40 fights by the time he was 20 years old, when he transitioned to mixed martial arts (MMA) for a new challenge.
MMA Career
Rakić has been a professional MMA fighter since 2011. Here are some key moments in his career:
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- UFC Debut: Rakić signed with the UFC and quickly made a name for himself in the Light Heavyweight division.
- Notable Wins: He has secured impressive victories against notable opponents.
- Awards and Nominations:
- Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Jimi Manuwa.
- 2019: Fan's Choice Knockout of the Year Nominee vs. Jimi Manuwa.
- 2019: Ranked #3 Knockout of the Year vs. Jimi Manuwa.
Azamat Murzakanov responds to Aleksandar Rakic’s change of team ‘it could be all for nothing”
Fight History
Rakić has fought against a number of notable opponents in the UFC. Some of his notable fights include:
- vs. Francimar Barroso
- vs. Justin Ledet
- vs. Devin Clark
- vs. Jimi Manuwa
- vs. Volkan Oezdemir
- vs. Anthony Smith
- vs. Jan Błachowicz
- vs. Jiří Procházka
- vs. Magomed Ankalaev
- vs. Azamat Murzakanov
Training and Influences
Rakić started competing in kickboxing and did very well. Opportunities were presented to go to the United States. When he went to the United States, he wanted to do more kickboxing, but there was really not much of a kickboxing culture there. It was more, you know, jiu-jitsu and MMA. They introduced the sport to him in the right way, and that's where he fell in love. He was like, ‘Wait, I can actually make a career out of this?’ He could see himself being out there in the big lights. When he experienced the big lights, that's where he kind of froze a little bit because that's all he wanted for a very long time. And when the opportunity was there for him, he was like, wow, this is too much to handle right now.
Bojan Veličković
Bojan Veličković (Serbian: Бојан Величковић; born December 18, 1988) is a Serbian retired mixed martial artist and sambist. He was competing in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2010, he has competed for the UFC, Professional Fighters League, and RFA, where he was the Welterweight Champion.
Early Life and Background
Born and raised in Novi Sad, Serbia, Veličković began training in judo at the age of ten, before transitioning to Muay Thai at 14. Then at the age of 22, he began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts.
MMA Career
Veličković was a gold medalist in amateur MMA at the FILA World Wrestling Federation before making his professional debut in 2010 as part of the "Road to the Ring of Fire" reality show. Veličković won all four fights and the show. After compiling a professional record of 9-2, Veličković signed with the promotion in 2014.
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Here are some key moments in his career:
- UFC Debut: Veličković entered the UFC scene.
- Professional Fighters League: After the release from the UFC, Veličković signed with Professional Fighters League, participating the inaugural season's welterweight bracket.
- Retirement: Veličković faced Ronald Paradeiser on June 14, 2025, at Oktagon 72. He lost the bout by TKO in the first round after injuring his leg. After the fight, Veličković announced his retirement from MMA.
- Awards: Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Nico Musoke.
Fight History
Veličković has fought against a number of notable opponents in various MMA promotions. Some of his notable fights include:
- vs. Alessio Di Chirico
- vs. Michael Graves
- vs. Sultan Aliev
- vs. Nico Musoke
- vs. Darren Till
- vs. Jake Matthews
- vs. Danillo Santos
- vs. Carlo Prater
- vs. David Kozma
- vs. Máté Kertész
- vs. Ronald Paradeiser
Here is a summary of Bojan Veličković's MMA achievements:
| Achievement | Details |
|---|---|
| RFA Welterweight Champion | Achieved before joining UFC |
| Performance of the Night | vs. Nico Musoke at UFC Fight Night 109 |
| Oktagon Welterweight Tournament | Semifinalist |
| PFL Welterweight Tournament | Quarterfinalist, later brought back to Semifinals |
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