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Draws Josh Emmett at UFC Sacramento
Bektic will face off against Josh Emmett at UFC Sacramento on July 13, freelance journalist Farah Hannoun reports.
ANALYSIS
By the time UFC Sacramento rolls around, Bektic will have gone more than an entire year without a fight, as a scheduled matchup against Renato Moicano ultimately fell through. Nonetheless, he'll look to earn his third straight victory after defeating Godofredo Castro in January of 2018 and Ricardo Lamas in June of 2018. Bektic is 13-1 as a professional, and 6-1 overall since joining the promotion. In this matchup, Bektic will presumably look to his wrestling, as he averages 3.59 takedowns per 15 minutes, and Emmett defends them at a rate of just 50 percent. Bektic will hold a two-inch height advantage when the Octagon doors close, while both men check in with a 70-inch reach.
By the time UFC Sacramento rolls around, Bektic will have gone more than an entire year without a fight, as a scheduled matchup against Renato Moicano ultimately fell through. Nonetheless, he'll look to earn his third straight victory after defeating Godofredo Castro in January of 2018 and Ricardo Lamas in June of 2018. Bektic is 13-1 as a professional, and 6-1 overall since joining the promotion. In this matchup, Bektic will presumably look to his wrestling, as he averages 3.59 takedowns per 15 minutes, and Emmett defends them at a rate of just 50 percent. Bektic will hold a two-inch height advantage when the Octagon doors close, while both men check in with a 70-inch reach.
Won't fight Renato Moicano after all
Bektic has been removed from the card for UFC 231 at Toronto, MMAFighting.com reports.
ANALYSIS
The promotion will search for a new opponent for Moicano after Bektic was dropped from the bout. He owns a 13-1 record and won his last two fights against Ricardo Lamas and Godofredo Pepey.
The promotion will search for a new opponent for Moicano after Bektic was dropped from the bout. He owns a 13-1 record and won his last two fights against Ricardo Lamas and Godofredo Pepey.
Set to face Renato Moicano in Toronto
Bektic will take on Renato Moicano in Toronto on Dec. 8 at UFC 231, Marcelo Barone and Raphael Marinho of Combate.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Bektic has won back-to-back fights after losing his first career bout to Darren Elkins in March of 2017. First he polished off Godofredo Pepey in January and then defeated Ricardo Lamas via split decision in Chicago during the summer. Those outings set himself up for an intriguing fight with Moicano, who is coming off a pair of victories following his first loss -- to Brian Ortega in July of 2017 -- which matches Bektic's record of 13-1.
Bektic has won back-to-back fights after losing his first career bout to Darren Elkins in March of 2017. First he polished off Godofredo Pepey in January and then defeated Ricardo Lamas via split decision in Chicago during the summer. Those outings set himself up for an intriguing fight with Moicano, who is coming off a pair of victories following his first loss -- to Brian Ortega in July of 2017 -- which matches Bektic's record of 13-1.
Earns huge win Saturday over Ricardo Lamas
Bektic defeated Ricardo Lamas via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) at UFC 225 on Saturday in Chicago.
ANALYSIS
Credit Bektic for digging deep against a tough opponent. This fight wasn't as lopsided as the numbers made it seem. Bektic ended up with a 107-74 edge in total strikes in addition to racking up 8:34 worth of control time. He landed the cleaner, more effective shots, but he didn't overwhelm Lamas. The 27-year-old Bektic remains one of MMA's rising stars. He can defeat his opposition in a variety of ways and he has a complete offensive game. Big things are ahead for Bektic.
Credit Bektic for digging deep against a tough opponent. This fight wasn't as lopsided as the numbers made it seem. Bektic ended up with a 107-74 edge in total strikes in addition to racking up 8:34 worth of control time. He landed the cleaner, more effective shots, but he didn't overwhelm Lamas. The 27-year-old Bektic remains one of MMA's rising stars. He can defeat his opposition in a variety of ways and he has a complete offensive game. Big things are ahead for Bektic.
Rebounds to pick up easy win Saturday in Charlotte
Bektic defeated Godofredo Pepey via TKO (punches) at 2:47 of Round 1 at UFC on FOX 27 on Saturday in Charlotte.
ANALYSIS
On the sidelines since his shocking loss (the first of his career) to Darren Elkins last March, Bektic returned in style on Saturday. He destroyed Pepey with a perfectly placed punch to the gut and it was immediately evident that the fight was over. The brutality of the shot and Pepey's immediate reaction helped Bektic pick up a $50,000 Performance of the Night post-fight bonus. Despite the aforementioned Elkins loss, Bektic, who turns 27 years old in a few weeks, remains one of the top overall prospects in the sport. He does everything well and gets high-end training every day with American Top Team in South Florida. The future remains extremely bright for Bektic.
On the sidelines since his shocking loss (the first of his career) to Darren Elkins last March, Bektic returned in style on Saturday. He destroyed Pepey with a perfectly placed punch to the gut and it was immediately evident that the fight was over. The brutality of the shot and Pepey's immediate reaction helped Bektic pick up a $50,000 Performance of the Night post-fight bonus. Despite the aforementioned Elkins loss, Bektic, who turns 27 years old in a few weeks, remains one of the top overall prospects in the sport. He does everything well and gets high-end training every day with American Top Team in South Florida. The future remains extremely bright for Bektic.