Father threatened to beat me if I don't learn Cyrillic! Confession of UFC star on the rise: I am Austrian in Serbia, and Serbian in Austria, I don't feel like I belong anywhere! (VIDEO)
Interesting story of Rakic about his origins
After the magnificent victory of Aleksandar Rakic in Stockholm, there were many comments why is he performing under the Austrian flag, and not Serbian.
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That is something Rakic got used to a long time ago, and which was a hot topic once again when he knocked out Jimi Manuwa in Sweeden, in the fight UC Fight Night 153.
Many forget the individual nature of this sport, which doesn't have a national character, and Rakic lived almost his entire life in Austria, and he showed his respect in this way.
Austrians don't mind his desire to celebrate the victories with Serbian flag, but Rakik explained six months ago how he identifies while he was a guest in Croatian media.
- I am proud of what I am. I live in Austria, I fight under the Austrian flag, simply because I grew up there, Austria gave me everything, that is why I sit here and talk about future and career. But I'm proud of what I am. There are always people who think that I am an Austrian, I go to Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, I talk with people ... "You are Austrian, you are this, you are that" ... In Austria, a different story. "You are a Serb, you are a Bosniak" Wherever I go, I am a foreigner. I can't be home anywhere! But you know what, whoever wants to accept it is going to accept it, who will not, they don't have to. I know what I am, I respect myself, I respect the others.
Rakic also faced the avalanche of comments that question his nationality.
- You know, I get a lot of messages on Instagram and Facebook. Why don't you fight under Serbian flag, why are you under Austrian? If it was the other way around, why are you fighting under Serbian, Croatian, or any other, no Austrian would ask me: Why don't you fight under the Austrian flag? We are different as a people - said Rakic, and adds:
- I am proud of what I am, but I must be grateful to Austria, I have a good life there, I grew up there. I speak Serbian, German, English, I know how to read and write Cyrillic, I believe in God, I know when its Christmas, Easter, what else? People can believe me if they want to, I don't care about others...
He also made a small parallel with the Croat fighters. Stipe Miocic spent his whole life in America, and he is a Croatian-American fighter.
- He's proud of it, like me. Leave it to me, what do you have to comment on that? But people are like that. My father forced me to learn Cyrillic and to write and read it. He tells me: You want to drive through Serbia by car and you do not know how to read the signpost? I should be ashamed ... I remember, he wrote all the letters on the cardboard, I had to learn them until the evening. If not, he will beat me - Rakic said through a laugh.
You can see this part of the story from 1:38:30.
VIDEO - Rakic's statement after the historic knockout at the UFC scene