Pros react after Aleksandar Rakić defeats Thiago Santos at UFC 259

A key light heavyweight bout featuring former title challenger Thiago Santos taking on Aleksandar Rakić kicked off tonight’s UFC 259 pay-per-view.

Santos (21-9 MMA) was looking to snap a two-fight losing skid this evening in Las Vegas. ‘Marreta’ had most previously competed this past November, where he suffered a submission loss to surging division contender Glover Teixeira.

Meanwhile, Aleksandar Rakić (14-2 MMA) had entered tonight’s UFC 259 fight with Thiago Santos looking to build off the momentum from his recent unanimous decision win over Anthony Smith. The Austrian had gone 4-1 under the UFC banner up to this point.

Image via @ufc on Instagram

Tonight’s Santos vs. Rakić contest was not the slugfest many were expecting. Instead, both men seemed tentative, likely out of respect for each others power. While it wasn’t a fan-friendly affair, Aleksandar Rakić clearly did enough to warrant getting his hand raised against Thiago Santos this evening.

Official UFC 259 Result: Aleksandar Rakić def. Thiago Santos by unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)

Check out how the pros reacted to Rakić defeating Santos below:

https://twitter.com/lionheartasmith/status/1368405028206239751

Post-fight reactions to Thiago Santos vs. Aleksandar Rakić:

https://twitter.com/DomReyes/status/1368406446132531201

Who would you like to see Aleksandar Rakić fight next following his decision victory over Thiago Santos at tonight’s UFC 259 event in Las Vegas? Share your thoughts in the comment section PENN Nation!