Jan Blachowicz may have just re-entered the championship conversation in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s light heavyweight division, though it probably wasn’t the method he would have chosen.
In his first bout since losing the 205-pound belt, Blachowicz (29-9, 12-6 UFC) returned to the win column when Aleksandar Rakic (14-3, 6-2 UFC) suffered an apparent knee injury in the UFC on ESPN 36 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Rakic crumbled to the canvas after sliding backward and putting weight on his right leg, prompting referee Mark Smith to wave off the bout 1:11 into the third round.