Rakic Defeats Tybura In Heavyweight Debut

Aleksandar Rakic snapped a four-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision over Marcin Tybura at UFC Belgrade, winning 30-27 on all three scorecards in his heavyweight debut.

Rakic used speed and movement to control the fight from the opening bell, according to BJPENN.com. The Serbian fighter landed sharp leg kicks and worked in and out of the pocket while Tybura struggled to close distance. Both men traded single shots without building combinations, but Rakic's volume and efficiency gave him the edge on the judges' cards.

Rakic Controls Distance Over Three Rounds

The second round saw Tybura land a counter hook and force a clinch where he connected with knees, but Rakic broke free and continued peppering the Polish veteran's nose from range. Henry Cejudo posted on social media that speed was the difference, scoring the fight 2-0 for Rakic through two rounds.

Rakic slowed in the final frame, allowing Tybura to land a throw and work inside briefly. The hometown fighter recovered to land an uppercut in the clinch and a hook over the top before cruising to the final horn. Tybura's late surge came too late to sway the scorecards.

The loss extended Tybura's skid to three straight after defeats to Ante Delija and Tyrell Fortune. Rakic had dropped four consecutive bouts to Azamat Murzakanov, Jiri Prochazka and Jan Blachowicz before moving up from light heavyweight.

Original reporting:

• bjpenn.com — UFC Belgrade Results: Aleksandar Rakic defeats Marcin Tybura (Highlights) | BJPenn.com