Overview
- The light heavyweight bout is scheduled for Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
- Rakic, 33, returns from a year-long layoff after a torn ACL and three straight losses, having moved his training to Serbia under a longtime friend as head coach.
- Murzakanov arrives at 15-0 with a 5-0 UFC record and a first-round knockout in June at UFC 316, bringing heavy power despite notable height and reach deficits.
- Rakic said he will have answers for Murzakanov’s offense and aims to deliver his first loss, while Murzakanov dismissed Rakic’s training changes as irrelevant.
- DraftKings lists the fight near a pick’em (Rakic -105, Murzakanov -115), with ClutchPoints picking Rakic and EssentiallySports favoring an early Murzakanov KO/TKO.