Uroš Medić needed only 30 seconds to stop Daniel Rodriguez in the UFC Belgrade main event, completing a memorable homecoming at the promotion’s first event in Serbia.
Medić dropped Rodriguez with a rapid left-right combination before following him to the canvas and landing further punches. Referee Jason Herzog intervened almost immediately, awarding the Serbian a first-round TKO victory at Belgrade Arena.
The result moved Medić to 14-3 and extended his winning sequence to four fights, all of which have ended by first-round knockout or TKO. It also strengthened his position in the welterweight division after his previous stoppage victory over Geoff Neal.
World in Sport’s UFC Belgrade preview had identified Rodriguez’s experience and ability to work through longer contests as potential problems for the aggressive home fighter. Medić never gave him the chance to apply either advantage.
Medić Ends the Main Event Almost Immediately
Rodriguez opened with low kicks, but Medić quickly closed the distance and landed the decisive combination. The left hand disrupted Rodriguez’s balance before the right sent him to the floor.
Medić continued attacking from the top until Herzog stopped the contest. Rodriguez protested briefly, although the referee had already seen enough to conclude that he could no longer defend himself effectively. The official time for the opening round was 30 seconds.
It was a particularly significant result for Medić because of the occasion. He was headlining his first UFC event in Serbia and carrying much of the local interest into the promotion’s Belgrade debut.
After the fight, Medić told the crowd that he hoped to “bring the belt to Serbia”. He also repeated his interest in facing former welterweight champion Leon Edwards and mentioned Carlos Prates as another possible opponent.
Calling for an established contender was understandable after such a decisive win. However, future matchmaking will depend on how the UFC reassesses Medić’s position when its welterweight rankings are updated.
World in Sport’s guide to the UFC ranking system explains why a convincing win does not automatically guarantee a specific ranking or a title opportunity. Opponent availability, divisional schedules and the promotion’s wider plans can all influence the next fight.
Stirling Stops Former Champion Błachowicz
Navajo Stirling produced the other major result of the evening by stopping former UFC light-heavyweight champion Jan Błachowicz at 2.56 of the first round.
Stirling hurt Błachowicz with a right hand before following him to the canvas. A series of elbows and punches forced the stoppage, extending Stirling’s unbeaten professional record to 11-0.
The New Zealander had accepted the fight on relatively short notice after replacing Bogdan Guskov. Despite the change in preparation, he remained patient in the early exchanges and capitalised on an opening left by Błachowicz.
Beating a former champion represents the most important result of Stirling’s career. It should move him towards the leading contenders at 205lb, although the light-heavyweight title picture could complicate his route because champion Carlos Ulberg is a City Kickboxing teammates.
Stirling mentioned Khalil Rountree Jr and Paulo Costa after the victory. Either contest would give the UFC a clearer indication of whether he is ready to enter the immediate championship discussion.
Rakić Earns Decision Win on Heavyweight Debut
Aleksandar Rakić also gave the Belgrade crowd a victory by defeating Marcin Tybura on his heavyweight debut.
Rakić controlled the three-round contest and received scores of 30-27 from all three judges. It was one of only two fights on the 14-bout card to require a decision.
Moving up from light-heavyweight presented a different physical challenge against an experienced heavyweight in Tybura. Rakić managed the difference effectively, maintained his output and avoided extended periods in positions where Tybura could use his size.
The victory gives Rakić an encouraging starting point in his new division, but one performance cannot establish where he belongs among the ranked heavyweights. His next opponent should provide a more detailed test of how his speed, strength and endurance translate against larger competition.
Urbina Silences the Crowd Against Čepo
Vlasto Čepo started aggressively against Gilbert Urbina and immediately pushed the American towards the fence. Urbina remained composed, found a counter and dropped Čepo before finishing the contest with ground strikes after 61 seconds.
The result ended Čepo’s unbeaten professional record and represented one of the main card’s clearest reminders that early pressure can create openings in both directions.
Robert Valentin submitted Duško Todorović with a guillotine choke late in the first round, while Noah Gugnon required only 81 seconds to secure a rear-naked choke against Miloš Janičić.
The volume of early finishes continued a pattern established during the preliminary card. Only Rakić’s win over Tybura and Borislav Nikolić’s victory against Mark Vologdin reached the judges.
Milošević and Leka Deliver Body-Shot Finishes
Nina Milošević earned a first-round TKO against Hailey Cowan after repeatedly targeting the body. Cowan was unable to recover from the accumulation of strikes, and the contest was stopped at 3.41.
Jovan Leka also used a body attack to finish Alexander Poppeck. A kick to the liver dropped the German before follow-up strikes brought the fight to an end at 2.22 of the opening round.
Michael Oliveira stopped Oban Elliott in 1.49, while Mateusz Rebecki defeated Kyle Prepolec by TKO with 19 seconds remaining in the first round.
Tofiq Musayev recorded one of the card’s two second-round stoppages when he finished Ludovít Klein at 4.07. Bogdan Grad accounted for the other, submitting Dennis Buzukja with a head-and-arm choke.
Stephanie Luciano began the event by submitting Marina Spasić with a rear-naked choke in the first round.
UFC Belgrade Full Results
The card featured 14 contests, with 12 ending by knockout, TKO or submission. Ten of those finishes came in the first round. The official UFC Belgrade results and judges’ scorecards provide the full event record.
| Card | Winner | Opponent | Method | Round and time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main event | Uroš Medić | Daniel Rodriguez | TKO, punches | Round 1, 0.30 |
| Main card | Navajo Stirling | Jan Błachowicz | TKO, strikes | Round 1, 2.56 |
| Main card | Aleksandar Rakić | Marcin Tybura | Unanimous decision | 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 |
| Main card | Robert Valentin | Duško Todorović | Submission, guillotine choke | Round 1, 4.14 |
| Main card | Gilbert Urbina | Vlasto Čepo | TKO, strikes | Round 1, 1.01 |
| Main card | Noah Gugnon | Miloš Janičić | Submission, rear-naked choke | Round 1, 1.21 |
| Preliminary card | Tofiq Musayev | Ludovít Klein | TKO, strikes | Round 2, 4.07 |
| Preliminary card | Michael Oliveira | Oban Elliott | TKO, strikes | Round 1, 1.49 |
| Preliminary card | Borislav Nikolić | Mark Vologdin | Unanimous decision | 29-27, 29-27, 29-27 |
| Preliminary card | Bogdan Grad | Dennis Buzukja | Submission, head-and-arm choke | Round 2, 4.33 |
| Preliminary card | Mateusz Rebecki | Kyle Prepolec | TKO, strikes | Round 1, 4.41 |
| Preliminary card | Nina Milošević | Hailey Cowan | TKO, strikes | Round 1, 3.41 |
| Preliminary card | Jovan Leka | Alexander Poppeck | TKO, strikes | Round 1, 2.22 |
| Preliminary card | Stephanie Luciano | Marina Spasić | Submission, rear-naked choke | Round 1, 3.20 |
UFC Belgrade followed the previous weekend’s UFC Abu Dhabi event and continued the promotion’s run of international Fight Night cards.
For Medić, however, the importance was both personal and competitive. He entered the evening as the central figure in the UFC’s Serbian debut and left with another early finish, a fourth successive victory. And a stronger case for a higher-ranked welterweight opponent
Readers can follow the divisional reaction and future matchmaking through the World in Sport UFC hub.
