With the UFC one of the first events to return after the pandemic, Dana White has managed the organization well enough and is going on at a steady pace. Every week, MMA fans witness a string of events designed to appeal to them and now, a new event is coming on August 29.
Known as UFC Vegas 8 or Fight Night 175, the event will feature several well-picked fights that will guarantee worthwhile fighting action to fans.
Anthony Smith will be walking out against Aleksandar Rakic and the accompanying big fight will feature a bout between Robbie Lawler and Neil Magny.
The event will kick off on ESPN at 9 pm ET hosting the main fight for the UFC Vegas 8 event and it will be a largely contested bout. Below are the odds for every fight in the series, including the undercards.
Odds to Win UFC Vegas 8
Fighter | Odds |
Anthony Smith | +240 |
Aleksandar Rakic | -305 |
Anthony Smith vs Aleksandar Rakic: A New Main Event
There have been some to-and-fro in setting up the current bout, but thankfully, it has all turned out for the better. The main event will go between a single and Aleksandar Rakic who are looking to fight it out for three rounds in the Octagon once again on Saturday.
Their match-up is actually quite entertaining, as both men will have every reason to want and secure a win. Smith has already established a track record for himself, being one of the top-five heavyweight contenders in the UFC these days.
He has quite a diverse fighting record, too. Out of his 48 bouts, he has won 33, and naturally, the odds tend to favor him slightly.
However, his last bout versus Glover Teixeira ended up with a loss, and he lost earlier in 2019 to J. Jones with a single victory in between versus A. Gustafsson, a worthy contender for sure.
Now, this bout is quite important as whoever wins the fight will actually have a chance at the light heavyweight title. Smith or Rakic may very soon find themselves fighting for it. Speaking of Rakic, he is a young Danish fighter with 14 fights, 12 wins and two losses. He lost to V. Oezdemir by S Decision, crushing his winning streak.
Yet, Rakic went on a 12-win streak and was undefeated since February, 2012. Interestingly, he lost via submission to Christian Radke all the way back in October, 2011.
Tale of the Tape: Rakic vs Smith
Rakic | vs | Smith |
28 | Age | 32 |
6’4” | Height | 6’4” |
78” | Reach | 76” |
2 | UFC finishes | 7 |
Head to head, both fighter seem to be set up evenly, yet, the odds seem to favor young Rakic, and quite evidently at that. With (-305) in value on Rakic, the oddsmakers are taking a huge risk or have just spotted something you wouldn’t want to miss.
Rakic is quick and he has a very strong kick that often finishes his bouts. Should Smith come in the line of fire of that kick he may find himself KO’d pretty quickly. The main card usually lasts three rounds, so everything will be decided very quickly on Saturday.