3 key questions ahead of UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakic

Light heavyweight contenders Anthony Smith and Aleksandar Rakic will meet Saturday in the UFC Fight Night headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Here are three key questions heading into the event.

Is Smith coming back too soon?

Smith took a beating against Glover Teixeira in May, which prompted the MMA world to question his corner's decision not to throw in the towel. Smith had Teixeira's number early on, but the Brazilian came back to pummel Smith in the second half of the fight en route to a devastating fifth-round TKO.

Three months isn't a long time between bouts for any fighter, never mind someone coming off a brutal loss. Smith is nicknamed "Lionheart" for a reason - he's one of the toughest, most resilient fighters in the UFC - but it still takes time to recover. And while you'd think Smith wouldn't fight again until he knows he's 100 percent, it's fair to have concerns. At the very least, one can't expect Smith to be at his absolute best on Saturday night.

Nevertheless, this could end up seeming like a great move for Smith. If he upsets Rakic, fans will quickly forget about the Teixeira loss, and Smith will be able to resume his climb to the top of the light heavyweight division, which is wide open after Jon Jones vacated the title.

But the quick turnaround could shed light on a potential long-term issue, too. Smith has always had a durable chin, but he took a lot of hard shots against Teixeira. It's possible he won't be able to take that sort of punishment again moving forward. Rakic is a deadly knockout artist, and not taking more time off may ultimately cost Smith.

What does Lawler have left?

Former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler is scheduled to return to the Octagon for the first time in over a year in Saturday's co-main event against Neil Magny.

Obviously, Lawler hasn't been in his prime for years, but I'm optimistic that the 38-year-old still has something to offer.

Lawler has dropped three consecutive fights, but those losses were all against tough competition: Colby Covington, who's one of the best welterweights on the planet, Ben Askren, and former lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos. It should be noted that the ending to the Askren fight was controversial and that Lawler looked good in the early going.

Magny isn't an easy fight for anybody. He's massive for the welterweight division, coming in at 6-foot-3 and with an 80-inch reach. Magny holds notable wins over Kelvin Gastelum, Johny Hendricks, Carlos Condit, and Hector Lombard. He's riding a two-fight winning streak, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him add Lawler to that list.

Lawler, who's ranked No. 13 in the division, could prove he still has gas left in the tank with a victory over No. 14 Magny. Still, "Ruthless" will have to do more than win on Saturday to show he's capable of making another run to the top - he'll have to beat a legitimate contender.

But the writing could be on the wall if the former champ falls short on Saturday.

Will Ankalaev or Cutelaba take different approach in rematch?

Probably not.

Magomed Ankalaev and Ion Cutelaba, two light heavyweight prospects, fought at UFC Norfolk in February. They immediately slugged it out and Ankalaev rocked Cutelaba with several head kicks. The referee stepped in and awarded Ankalaev with a first-round TKO victory, but Cutelaba didn't appear all that hurt and immediately protested the stoppage.

The rematch has been scheduled a few times but has been called off for various reasons related to the coronavirus pandemic. (Cutelaba was recently diagnosed with COVID-19, forcing him off the UFC 252 card earlier in August.)

Ankalaev and Cutelaba will finally run it back this weekend, and another slugfest is likely. That might not be the smartest approach for the latter, as he was quickly hurt by his opponent; Ankalaev seemed to be the more precise striker in the first bout, and that'll likely pay dividends again. Cutelaba is a bruiser, so he's unlikely to drastically change his approach so soon after the loss.

Cutelaba hits like a truck, so it's not a foregone conclusion that Ankalaev will win; anyone can get caught. But Ankalaev is a 3-1 betting favorite for a reason. As long as he repeats his February game plan, he should be able to get another result.