On this day in 2019, Aleksandar Rakic turned out to be one of the most dangerous strikers in the UFC Light Heavyweight Division.
UFC Light Heavyweight Jimi Manuwa was once about a title shot before a career-ending Skid just left him a championship chance. But after three losses for former title challengeers Jan Bachowicz, Volkan Ozdemir and Thiago Santos, Manuwa stood for another dangerous enemy in Aleksandar Rakic.
Manuwa and Rakic could be seen on UFC Stockholm, on a map with two by Jones's former rivals. The winner would have placed a step closer to a potential title shot, especially with a striking finish.
With everything on the line, Manuwa's battle went against one of the toughest puzzles of the division.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Aleksandar Rakic caught Jimi Manuwa with a horrible main kick Ko
Rakic did not have to overwhelm Manuwa on the feet because the VK height struggled to find his rhythm and timing in the Octagon. While Rakic saw that Manuwa kept his hands low from a countertop, he succeeded it with a mean main kick that blushed to beat Manuwa unconscious.
View Rakic earn the 42 seconds finish below.
#Onthisday in 2019: @Rakic_Ufc landed this main kick Ko in 41 seconds 🤯
View completely on @ufcfightpass 📺 pic.twitter.com/ByoymdNVC1
– UFC Europe (@ufceurope) 1 June 2025
Manuwa announced his retirement of MMA shortly after the loss of Rakic, which ended his career on a four-fighter-losing streak. Manuwa deserved victories over people like Blachowicz, Ovince Saint-Preux and Corey Anderson during his UFC official period.
Rakic's victory concluded a 12-fog winning streak after he had dropped his professional MMA debut. But Rakic would then suffer a controversial division decision loss for Uzdemir, just a few months later to fall out of the title.
Jimi Manuwa has never earned a UFC title fight after Daniel Cormier had called him
The late slide of Manuwa in the light heavyweight division is one of the forgotten stories of the UFC. Before his struggle of the late career became, Manuwa was devised as a potential future champion, who received the attention of Daniel Cormier.
After Cormier Ozdemir defeated UFC 220, he immediately cried Manuwa, who was Cagesside ready to make his business for a title shot. The two exchanged hooks on the microphone, but unfortunately that came closest to the fight.
Cormier continued with the full-time switch to heavyweight to challenge Stipe Miocic, and turned it out in the first round in the UFC Hall of Famer's Ascent to Two-Wight World Champion. Cormier withdrew from MMA in 2020 after loss in his trilogy against Miocic.
Manuwa started his career with 14 consecutive victories for a loss for former title challenge Alexander GustaFsson in March 2014. In the meantime, Rakic will remain active in the UFC and is expected to return to the cage later this year.