Light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith has his next bout set. Smith, who was on the wrong end of an uncomfortable beatdown against Glover Teixeira last month, will return to action on August 29, against Aleksandar Rakic.
MMA Play 365 was first to report the booking, which has yet to be announced by the UFC.
Smith (33-15) found himself absolutely mauled in the main event of UFC Jacksonville in May. That fight saw calls for Smith’s corner to throw in the towel, and sparked questions about whether the bout should have been stopped considerably sooner.
“Lionheart” remains a big part of the 205lb division, however, having gone 3-2 in his last five, including a failed title challenge against Jon Jones at UFC 235.
Rakic (12-2) will have some added motivation heading into the Smith fight. The Austrian fighter suffered his first professional defeat last time out. However, it came in a razor-thin split decision against Volkan Oezdemir, in a fight that easily could have gone the other way.
Prior to that loss, Rakic had built up an impressive resume including wins over Devin Clark and Jimi Manuwa.
The UFC’s August 29 card does not yet have a date or location announced. The promotion is in the midst of a five-event run in their home base of Las Vegas, operating out of the UFC Apex, their own private facility. Next month, they head to Yas Island, Abu Dhabi for the much-ballyhooed “Fight Island” cards, starting with UFC 251.
