Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Belgrade

California’s Rodriguez ventures overseas also riding a three-fight winning streak and competing for the first time since besting Kevin Holland last July at UFC 318 in New Orleans. The 39-year-old is 7-3 over his last 10 fights and proven to be a durable and game adversary for anyone who steps in against him.

Opportunities like the one in front of Medić are always fascinating, as the chance to headline is a thrill and achievement on its own, but doing it at home is something entirely different. Stylistically, this is a classic “power versus precision” matchup where Medić carries fight-ending capabilities and is always on the hunt, while Rodriguez is more of a technical fighter who looks to wear you down over time.

Additional Main Card Matchups

Jan Błachowicz vs Navajo Stirling

Originally scheduled to be a rematch between Błachowicz and Bogdan Guskov, a shuffling of the light heavyweight deck created the opportunity for Stirling to step in against the former champion this weekend.

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The 43-year-old Blachowicz touches down in Belgrade in a very precarious position, having done without a win over his last four (0-2-2) and with only one win — in a fight he was winning, but that ended as a result of an injury — since defending the light heavyweight strap against Israel Adesanya at UFC 259. He has dealt with multiple surgeries and injuries over the last few years but also weathered the storm in his initial encounter with Guskov and gave both Carlos Ulberg and Alex Pereira tough fights before that, making it difficult to pin down where he fits in the division at the moment.

Tybura has settled into playing this role in the heavyweight division and has been a quality litmus test, all things considered. He’s 10-5 over his last 15 fights, with the losses coming to individuals previously or currently stationed ahead of him in the rankings, and the wins coming against a collection of hopefuls that were not ready and vets that could match his level.

The key question here is going to be how Rakic’s game translates up a division, as Tybura is as established and steadfast in his approach as anyone in the heavyweight ranks. If the Austrian fighter with Serbian heritage can be athletic and dynamic, things could get interesting, but Tybura does not go away easily and will not wilt under the initial pressure Rakic presents.

Dusko Todorovic vs Robert Valentin

Serbian Dusko Todorovic and Switzerland’s Robert Valentin meet in this middleweight pairing of shoulder programming grads looking to collect a second consecutive win this weekend.

Todorovic, who came off Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series, fights at home for the first time in the UFC, coming off a first-round stoppage win over Jose Daniel Medina last September where he showcased his grappling skills and improved Fight IQ. The 32-year-old has struggled to find consistency inside the Octagon, but with a partisan crowd behind him on Saturday, you best believe we’re going to see the best version of “Thunder” yet.

Urbina tagged into the finale of the middleweight tournament on Season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter back in 2021, losing to Bryan Battle, and has had mixed results since. After posting his first UFC win over Orion Cosce, the New Mexico-based battler has dropped consecutive contests by first-round stoppage, dropping his record to 7-4 overall.

This feels like one of those matchups where someone is getting laid out, and it’s probably going to be early, and it’s probably going to be violent, so you’re probably going to want to be paying close attention.

Milos Janicic vs Noah Gugnon

Milos Janicic and Noah Gugnon open the main card in a matchup of lightweight newcomers looking to start their UFC careers off on a positive note.

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The 29-year-old Janicic becomes the first fighter from Montenegro to compete in the Octagon, doing so while riding an eight-fight winning streak that dates back to 2020 and has not involved the judges. He has been mixing up his martial arts in recent years, dabbling in boxing, kickboxing, and custom rules (dirty boxing) bouts, posting another four wins and one loss in those arenas, and comes into this one having beaten longtime UFC lightweight Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira in his last MMA appearance at the close of last year.

Klein wasted little time getting back into the win column after Mateusz Gamrot snapped his lengthy unbeaten streak but suffered an ankle injury in that victory over Mateusz Rebecki that has kept him out of action ever since. Musayev garnered his first UFC victory last time out, but a blatant fence grab to stop a suplex and uncalled headbutt definitely put a damper on his otherwise entertaining performance.

Oban Elliott vs Michael Oliveira

Oban Elliott looks to stop a two-fight skid and begin rebuilding momentum as he welcomes unbeaten DWCS grad Michael Oliveira to the Octagon for the first time.

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After a flat outing in Azerbaijan last June, Elliott got clocked and subbed by Jonathan Micallef early in the year, suffering a broken orbital in the process, resulting in another extended hiatus. Unbeaten in nine fights with eight finishes, Oliveira is a physical specimen who dominated current UFC welterweight Victor Valenzuela to earn his contract last season.

Borislav Nikolic vs Mark Vologdin

Serbian veteran Borislav Nikolic gets a short-notice opportunity inside the Octagon this weekend as he steps up to face all-action Russian Mark Vologdin.

The 33-year-old Nikolic tags in for Josias Musasa, brandishing a 16-2 record, a six-fight winning streak and finishes in all but one of his wins. Between his Contender Series bout last year and his debut in Winnipeg in April, Vologdin has quickly established himself as must-see TV in the bantamweight division, bringing a bottomless gas tank, high motor, and toughness for days with him into the Octagon each time he competes.

Dennis Buzukja vs Bogdan Grad

Dana White’s Contender Series alums Dennis Buzukja and Bogdan Grad meet here in a clash of featherweights hoping to right the ship.

Still just 28 years old, Buzukja has gone 1-4 in five appearances under the UFC lights after earning a win, but not a contract on Season 6 of the annual talent-search series. Grad won his debut with a gutsy comeback and stoppage of Lucas Alexander but has since dropped each of his last two outings, coming in off a second-round stoppage loss to unbeaten Scouser Luke Riley last November.

Mateusz Rebecki vs Kyle Prepolec

Sound the klaxons — this is a banger alert!

Rebecki is allergic to being in a boring fight, having earned three straight Fight of the Night bonuses before his loss to Grant Dawson in May. The same can be said about Prepolec, who paired off with Drew Dober last October to earn some extra bank and will definitely be looking to match Rebecki’s energy levels and output in this one.

Nina Milosevic vs Hailey Cowan

Promising Serbian newcomer Nina Milosevic puts her eight-fight winning streak on the line against DWCS grad Hailey Cowan in this preliminary card contest in the bantamweight division.

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“Queen Beast” lost her debut and has been rolling ever since, posting eight straight wins and five finishes to earn a call to the Octagon. Cowan touches down in Belgrade still searching for her first UFC victory, having most recently landed on the receiving end of a sharp knee from Alice Pereira back in April.

Jovan Leka vs Alexander Poppeck

Contender Series alums meet in Serbia as Jovan Leka faces off with Alexander Poppeck in the night’s first heavyweight pairing.

Leka scored a unanimous decision win over Azamat Nuftillaev last October and has since added a pair of first-round finishes to his resume to advance to 13-2 and secure a chance to compete on the biggest stage in the sport. Poppeck faced Jamahal Hill all the way back in Season 3, and has gone 12-2 with one no contest since, resulting in his getting the call to replace Max Gimenis here.

Marina Spasic vs Stephanie Luciano

Strawweights get the action started in Belgrade this weekend as local Marina Spasic meets Stephanie Luciano.

Owner of a 7-1 record with six stoppages, Spasic looks to build on her April finish of Samara Santos at ARMMADA 17 when she makes the walk to the Octagon on Saturday before the partisan Serbian crowd. A member of the DWCS Class of ’23, Luciano has gone 2-1 over her first three UFC appearances, most recently submitting Ravena Oliveira last October in Vancouver.