Belgrade, Serbia, (August 1st, 2026)– The UFC touches down in Serbia for the first time in company history on Saturday, and it’s fitting that a hometown fighter gets to headline it. Uros Medic, a 33-year-old finisher with a perfect 100 percent stoppage rate across 13 pro wins, main-events in his own backyard against Daniel Rodriguez, a well-traveled veteran making his own kind of comeback after an eight-month stretch in a Mexican prison. Add a former light heavyweight champion in Jan Blachowicz, a heavyweight debut for Aleksandar Rakic, and nine fighters making their first walk to the Octagon, and UFC Belgrade punches well above its billing as a “smaller” Fight Night.
UFC Fight Night 283: Medic vs. Rodriguez Preview
By Real Combat Media MMA Editorial Staff
Full Fight Card
Main Card (Paramount+, 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT)
Welterweight: Uros Medic (13-3-0) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (20-5-0) — weigh-in: 171 vs. 171
Light Heavyweight: Jan Blachowicz (29-11-2) vs. Navajo Stirling (10-0-0) — weigh-in: 205 vs. 205
Heavyweight: Marcin Tybura (27-11-0) vs. Aleksandar Rakic (14-6-0) — weigh-in: 254 vs. 237.5
Middleweight: Dusko Todorovic (13-6-0) vs. Robert Valentin (12-6-0, 1 NC) — weigh-in: 185 vs. 185.5
Middleweight: Vlasto Cepo (14-3-0) vs. Gilbert Urbina (7-4-0) — weigh-in: 186 vs. 185.5
Lightweight: Milos Janicic (19-3-0) vs. Noah Gugnon (9-2-0) — weigh-in: 156 vs. 155
Preliminary Card (Paramount+, 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT)
Lightweight: Ludovit Klein (24-5-1) vs. Tofiq Musayev (23-6-0) — weigh-in: 155.5 vs. 155.5
Welterweight: Oban Elliott (12-4-0) vs. Michael Oliveira (9-0-0) — weigh-in: 170 vs. 171
Bantamweight: Borislav Nikolic (16-2-0) vs. Mark Vologdin (12-4-2) — weigh-in: 136 vs. 135.5
Featherweight: Bogdan Grad (15-4-0) vs. Dennis Buzukja (12-6-0) — weigh-in: 145.5 vs. 146
Lightweight: Mateusz Rebecki (20-5-0) vs. Kyle Prepolec (18-10-0) — weigh-in: 155.5 vs. 155
Women’s Bantamweight: Nina Milosevic (8-1-0) vs. Hailey Cowan (7-5-0) — weigh-in: 134.5 vs. 136
Heavyweight: Jovan Leka (13-2-0) vs. Alexander Poppeck (21-5-0, 1 NC) — weigh-in: 262.5 vs. 215
Women’s Strawweight: Marina Spasic (7-1-0) vs. Stephanie Luciano (7-2-1) — weigh-in: 115.5 vs. 115
Tale of the Tape
Main Event — Welterweight
| Uros Medic | Daniel Rodriguez | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 13-3-0 | 20-5-0 |
| Age | 33 | 39 |
| Height | 6’1″ | 6’1″ |
| Reach | 71″ | 74″ |
| Stance | Southpaw | Southpaw |
Co-Main Event — Light Heavyweight
| Jan Blachowicz | Navajo Stirling | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 29-11-2 | 10-0-0 |
| Age | 43 | 28 |
| Height | 6’2″ | 6’4″ |
| Reach | 78″ | 79″ |
| Stance | Orthodox | Orthodox |
Film Study
Medic vs. Rodriguez: Every one of Medic’s 13 wins has come by finish, and he’s riding a three-fight knockout streak that includes a first-round starching of Gilbert Urbina, who fights earlier on this same card. He hits hardest early and has been most dangerous in the opening minutes, though all three of his losses came by stoppage too, two by submission, which tells you where the door is if Rodriguez can get him there. Rodriguez is a volume striker who has gone the distance far more than Medic has, building a 25-fight resume on absorbing pressure and grinding through pace. The prison stretch is the story, but the style matchup decides it: can Rodriguez survive round one?
Blachowicz vs. Stirling: This one came together late after Bogdan Guskov pulled out, and Stirling stepping up on short notice hasn’t stopped him from being installed as the clear favorite. Blachowicz is a decade-tested former champion who has traded with the best light heavyweights alive, but he hasn’t finished anyone since 2020 and his takedown volume has dropped off in recent outings. Stirling is unbeaten, considerably longer, and has finished both of his UFC appearances. The question is whether “Polish Power” still has enough left to close the distance on a fresher, bigger man.
Tybura vs. Rakic: Rakic makes his heavyweight debut here after four straight losses at 205 pounds, a stretch that traces back to the ACL tear he suffered against Blachowicz in 2022. Tybura, 40 years old and a longtime gatekeeper of the division, is coming off back-to-back setbacks of his own. Whoever looks more like their old self walks away with this one.
Todorovic vs. Valentin: Todorovic fights in front of a Serbian crowd for the first time and brings a clinch-heavy, forward style that has produced finishes in eight of his 13 wins, though he’s also been stopped by strikes four times. Valentin owns the length advantage and is coming off a first-round submission win of his own.
Cepo vs. Urbina: Cepo makes his UFC debut at home with a perfect finishing record, 14 wins all inside the distance, most in the first round. Urbina has dropped back-to-back first-round knockout losses, including one to Medic. It’s about as lopsided a stylistic matchup as this card offers.
Janicic vs. Gugnon: Two knockout artists making their promotional debuts, both stopping opponents at a high rate, both unlikely to see a final bell. Janicic also makes history as the first fighter from Montenegro to compete in the UFC.
Betting Odds
Uros Medic (-350 to -400) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (+280 to +320)
Jan Blachowicz (+250 to +265) vs. Navajo Stirling (-310 to -325)
Marcin Tybura (+250 to +285) vs. Aleksandar Rakic (-340 to -360)
Dusko Todorovic (+125 to +145) vs. Robert Valentin (-155 to -180)
Vlasto Cepo (-350 to -355) vs. Gilbert Urbina (+275 to +285)
Milos Janicic (+100) vs. Noah Gugnon (-120)
Ludovit Klein (-270) vs. Tofiq Musayev (+220)
Oban Elliott (+285) vs. Michael Oliveira (-360)
Borislav Nikolic (-192) vs. Mark Vologdin (+160)
Bogdan Grad (-192) vs. Dennis Buzukja (+160)
Mateusz Rebecki (-700) vs. Kyle Prepolec (+500)
Nina Milosevic (-500) vs. Hailey Cowan (+380)
Jovan Leka (-258) vs. Alexander Poppeck (+210)
Marina Spasic (+260) vs. Stephanie Luciano (-325)
Odds are approximate ranges pulled from multiple sportsbooks ahead of fight night and will move before the card starts. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Keys to Victory
Medic: Get it done early. Every extra minute Rodriguez survives is a minute closer to his own comfort zone.
Rodriguez: Weather round one, then lean on volume and a 25-fight resume to wear Medic down.
Blachowicz: Use clinch experience to slow Stirling’s pace and avoid a kickboxing match at range.
Stirling: Stay long, stay patient, and don’t get talked into a firefight with a future Hall of Famer.
Rakic: Manage distance early and don’t let the size of the new division bait him into standing and trading.
Tybura: Lean on volume and craft to smother a heavyweight newcomer still finding his feet.
Prelim Breakdown
The prelim opener between Ludovit Klein and Tofiq Musayev is as good a prelim as this card offers, pitting two lightweights each riding 4-1 stretches over their last five fights. Michael Oliveira arrives undefeated and finishes 90 percent of his fights, a tough ask for Oban Elliott, who’s lost two straight. Mateusz Rebecki is a massive favorite over Kyle Prepolec, while Nina Milosevic looks to continue her unbeaten start against Hailey Cowan. Heavyweights Jovan Leka and Alexander Poppeck both make their UFC debuts, as do strawweights Marina Spasic and Stephanie Luciano, rounding out a card with nine newcomers total.
Final Word
UFC Belgrade doesn’t carry title implications, but it has stakes. Medic gets to fight for his country in the biggest moment of his career. Rodriguez gets a shot at redemption most fighters never get. Blachowicz is trying to prove 43 isn’t a finish line. That’s plenty to tune in for.
Watch
UFC Belgrade: Ceremonial Weigh-In
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