TLDR
- Uros Medic defeated Daniel Rodriguez by TKO in 30 seconds in the UFC Belgrade main event
- Navajo Stirling upset former champion Jan Blachowicz with a first-round TKO in the co-main event
- The event marked UFC’s first-ever visit to Serbia, held at Belgrade Arena
- Rodriguez was returning after spending eight months in a Mexican prison
- Four of six main card fights ended in the first round with finishes
Sources: mmafighting.com | sherdog.com | mmamania.com
UFC Belgrade delivered explosive action on Saturday afternoon as Uros Medic knocked out Daniel Rodriguez in just 30 seconds to headline the promotion’s first-ever event in Serbia.
Medic, ranked No. 15 in the welterweight division, met Rodriguez in the center of the cage and immediately unleashed a devastating combination. A left hand to the ear and a glancing knee sent Rodriguez to the mat.
Medic followed with a soccer kick to the body before landing punches that forced referee stoppage at the 30-second mark. The victory extended Medic’s knockout streak to four consecutive first-round finishes.
The 27-year-old Serbian fighter from nearby Novi Sad has now stopped Geoff Neal, Muslim Salikhov, Gilbert Urbina, and Rodriguez. The combined time of those four victories is less than five minutes.
Stirling Upsets Former Champion
Navajo Stirling pulled off a major upset in the co-main event, stopping former UFC champion Jan Blachowicz at 2:56 of the first round. Stirling took the fight on short notice, just one month after his win over Ion Cutelaba.
Blachowicz controlled the early action and wobbled Stirling with his punches. However, Stirling recovered and landed a powerful one-two combination that sent the Polish fighter to the canvas.
"I'm gonna COOK the rest of this division" 🍴
Uros Medic is ready for whoever!
[ #UFCBelgrade | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/U71Ex3ac9o
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 1, 2026
Sterling pounced with ground strikes, opening a cut on Blachowicz. A hard elbow forced Blachowicz to cover up, prompting the referee to stop the fight.
Blachowicz was originally scheduled to face Bogdan Guskov before Guskov was needed for a different event in Abu Dhabi the previous weekend.
Rakic Outpoints Tybura
Aleksandar Rakic earned a unanimous decision victory over Marcin Tybura, with all three judges scoring the fight 30-27. Rakic used his speed advantage to tag Tybura repeatedly throughout the three-round contest.
The light heavyweight fight saw Rakic land a head kick in the first round and maintain his pace through the second. Tybura struggled to close the distance against the quicker fighter.
In the third round, Rakic pushed Tybura against the fence and attempted a takedown, though Tybura’s size prevented him from completing it. Tybura landed a knee during the clinch exchanges but couldn’t overcome Rakic’s volume.
Robert Valentin submitted Dusko Todorovic with a guillotine choke at 4:14 of the first round. The finish disappointed the Serbian crowd hoping to see their countryman advance.
Gilbert Urbina stopped Vlasto Cepo at 1:01 of the opening round with ground and pound. Cepo initially pressured Urbina against the fence before Urbina landed a counter shot and finished the fight on the mat.
Noah Gugnon defeated Milos Janicic by rear-naked choke at 1:21 of the first round. Gugnon targeted Janicic’s legs with kicks before securing the submission.
On the preliminary card, Tofiq Musayev stopped Ludovit Klein at 4:07 of the second round. Michael Oliveira knocked out Oban Elliott at 1:49 of the first round.
Mateusz Rebecki dominated Kyle Prepolec with ground and pound, earning a TKO stoppage at 4:41 of the opening frame. Nina Milosevic stopped Hailey Cowan with a body punch at 3:41 of round one.
Jovan Leka landed a liver kick that finished Alexander Poppeck at 2:22 of the first round. Stephanie Luciano submitted Marina Spasic with a rear-naked choke at 3:30 of the opening round.
The event took place at Belgrade Arena in northern Serbia. Rodriguez entered the fight after spending eight months in a Mexican prison on legal issues before returning with a win over Kevin Holland.
