Radosavljevic: "Light heavyweight title would be the crown of my career!"
Being regarded as one of the best light heavyweights in Southern Europe, Aleksandar "Rodja" Radosavljevic hasn’t fought since the end of 2011. He took some time off to work on various projects but he couldn’t escape from the inevitable. He belongs in the ring and he will make his return at WFC 18: Knockout on 21 April in Ljubljana.
“I realized that I belong in the ring in which I have a lot more to show you,” Rodja opened up. 29-year-old Serbian kept himself busy in the absence. He launched MMA organization "Tesla FC" alongside Dragan Tesanovic and Igor Spadijer, they made their first "MMA Magazine" in the region and launched the club "MMA Academy". They also entered the MMA gear market with the launch of martial equipment called "VICTORY" and made a mini-documentary series "MMA Serbia", which talks about the life and training of fighters in the country.
“A lot of time and energy was spent on forming first Serbian MMA Federation and that raised a lot of dust in Serbia, a country that is known for its MMA phobia. Indeed a lot of things have been done and I have a feeling that people here do not like us because of that. Wherever you go, Slovenia or Croatia, and people who follow MMA cherish and respect what we do. Only in our country this is not the case. This is one of the key factors why I am returning to the ring. I belong in the ring.”
Rodja is a true veteran of the sport and WFC. He holds a professional record of 5 wins with 1 loss inside the WFC ring. Six of his fifteen professional fights occurred in WFC which means that WFC plays a big part in his career.
Rodja in action
“First I'd like to thank Zlatko Mahic for all the opportunities that he has provided for me, I consider WFC as my home. If it was not for him, I do not know where else I would fought those 6 matches and not only me but many fighters from the region,” stated Radosavljevic who last fought in the heavyweight division at WFC 15 and lost for the very first time in the WFC.
“I worked hard for the last match because there was a great stake in the game - WFC Heavyweight belt. Originally, I was supposed to fight with someone else but he cancelled at the last minute. Emil Zahariev came in as a replacement. I was training for a standup battle and faced a wrestler in the end. But I lost the match fair and square.”
But then we heard what we expected from the beginning: ”I’m returning to the light heavyweight division, that’s my homeyard!”
“I'm waiting for the definitive confirmation of the opponent and then I am going to hunt for sponsors! For serious opponent I need serious preparation and that can’t be provided to me in my country. The biggest problem is the lack of a partner. It's very hard to find quality heavyweights to spar.”
Rodja is currently working on base training. Physical strength is in the foreground while he’s slowly including the technical part of the training. He plans to use top supplementation and hold a special diet regime to achieve his goals.
A veteran, but still just a 29-year-old, is full of ambition. One sticks out the most – empty throne in the WFC Light heavyweight division. Rodja is planning to make a shot at the title.
“That would be the crown of my career. First of all I have to prove to myself that I’m capable of achieving that goal,” stated Rodja.
“At WFC 18: Knockout I want to come out as a winner and I’ll do everything in my power to do so! Be ready, Rodja is coming back!”
What do you think, will the long absence from the ring present a problem for Rodja? Or will he return on the winning path? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page or tweet your view @WFC_si.