After Alexandar Rakic's dominant victory over Anthony Smith last Sunday, he has surged to number five in the UFC Light Heavyweight rankings, while Smith falls to number eight.

With Jon Jones having vacated his title to move to the heavyweight division, the light heavyweight title picture is more competitive than it has been in years.

Predominantly known for his vicious striking, Rakic displayed a grappling-heavy game on Sunday, controlling Smith over three rounds. While it was an impressive performance and showed that he is not merely a striker, some critics have noted that it was not the most exciting fight.

However, it did send a message to the rest of the division that defeating Rakic is not just a matter of taking him down and working for a submission. After brutalising the legs of Smith while standing, once the fight hit the ground Rakic was able to avoid his jiu-jitsu offence and control him effectively on the ground.

The newly-vacated light heavyweight title is up for grabs at UFC 253 on September 26, contested between number one-ranked Dominick Reyes and number three-ranked Jan Blachowicz in the co-main event.

Source: ufc.com

Alexandar Rakic staked his claim to the throne after defeating Anthony Smith, stating that he wants the winner of Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz during his post-fight interview. Despite his surge in the rankings today, there is a major obstacle standing in the way of Rakic's immediate title aspirations.

Namely, the fight between number two-ranked Thiago Santos and number four-ranked Glover Teixeira, which is slated to take place on Saturday, September 12 in Las Vegas. Both men are above Rakic in the rankings. If one of them emerges with a stoppage victory, it seems likely that they will be give preference over Rakic.