UFC Belgrade: Medić vs. Rodriguez Preview and Predictions

For the first time ever, the UFC touches down in Belgrade, Serbia, becoming the 33rd country to host a UFC event. The main event features a showdown between top-ranked welterweights Uros Medic and Daniel Rodriguez. Both men enter on three-fight winning streaks and will look to continue their climb up the rankings.

The co-main event features a clash of light heavyweight contenders as former champion Jan Blachowicz takes on Navajo Stirling in what should be the biggest test of Stirling’s career. Stirling accepted the bout on short notice after Bogdan Guskov was moved to last weekend’s card.

The event airs live on Paramount+ beginning at 10 a.m. ET. Combat Press writers Matt Petela and Andrew Sumian preview the action.

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Both main event fighters are riding three-fight winning streaks. Which man extends it to four straight victories?

Sumian: Uros Medic is a finishing machine. He has recorded 11 wins by knockout and continues to look better with every performance. His victory over Geoff Neal earlier this year was a huge indication that Medic is ready for tougher competition as he continues to climb the welterweight rankings.

On the other hand, Daniel Rodriguez is a crafty veteran who has shared the Octagon with top-tier competition, including Kevin Lee, Ian Machado Garry, and Kelvin Gastelum. Rodriguez is quickly approaching 40 years old and has not competed in more than a year. It will be interesting to see how he looks in his return and whether he can continue the momentum he built in 2025.

Rodriguez is as tough as they come and has been finished by knockout only once. Despite that, I am going with Medic. He will be the fresher and younger fighter and eventually score a TKO in Round 2 or 3 after finding success early. Rodriguez will make things difficult with his tenacity and endurance, but it will be the Serbian’s night.

Petela: It is hard to pick against anyone who spent time in a Mexican prison and came out no worse for the wear, so I won’t.

Daniel Rodriguez spent eight months behind bars after being caught with marijuana south of the border. He certainly wasn’t getting the formal training of a fight camp during that time, but I’m sure it strengthened his already stellar resolve.

I think this fight gives him the opportunity to bounce back and earn one more signature win before calling it a career. He’s much closer to the end than the beginning, but I think this weekend will be about old dogs proving that experience and fight IQ can trump speed. Rodriguez wins by knockout before the end of Round 1.

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Jan Blachowicz has not won a fight since 2022. Can the former champion turn back the clock against Navajo Stirling?

Petela: Thanks for that question. Now I’ve got that Cher song stuck in my head.

I definitely think the Polish stalwart shows he isn’t ready to be put out to pasture just yet. Navajo Stirling will probably become a contender at light heavyweight before too long, but not yet. He’ll take his lumps this weekend and struggle to find a rhythm against the methodical striking and deliberate pace of the former champion.

This one goes the distance, but the scorecards will unanimously favor Blachowicz.

Sumian: Most people who fight Jan Blachowicz do not look good against him. He is powerful, has outstanding defense, and is difficult to pressure.

That said, he is getting up there in age, and his role as a gatekeeper will eventually come to an end. I don’t feel great about this pick, but I’m going with Stirling to score the biggest win of his career. He’ll overwhelm the former champion with pressure and finish him with strikes before the end of Round 3.

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Which fighter’s UFC career is on the ropes at this event?

Sumian: Aleksandar Rakic.

At one point, Rakic looked like one of the most talented and athletic light heavyweight prospects in the world. Unfortunately, that momentum has disappeared, and he enters this fight on a four-fight losing streak. He has moved up to heavyweight to face veteran Marcin Tybura and desperately needs a win to remain relevant.

Petela: Marcin Tybura.

He has lost two straight and three of his past five fights. He’s also nearly 41 years old, and even by heavyweight standards, that’s getting up there in age.

If he can’t hold off Andrew’s pick, Rakic, who is struggling himself, it will probably be the last time we see him compete inside the Octagon.

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Which fight is the sleeper matchup on this card?

Petela: Mark Vologdin vs. Borislav Nikolic.

Vologdin is probably too fun for his own good. He fights at a pace practically unmatched in the bantamweight division outside of former champion Merab Dvalishvili and competes with reckless abandon.

Simply put, if he doesn’t win, he loses spectacularly. His clash with Nikolic will steal the show early in the event.

Sumian: The lightweight matchup between Mateusz Rebecki and Kyle Prepolec is going to produce fireworks.

If these two weren’t on losing streaks, I would expect this bout to land on the main card. Someone is getting finished, and it’s going to be a blast while it lasts.

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Who earns “Performance of the Night” honors?

Sumian: L’udovit Klein.

He submits Tofiq Musayev and caps off the night with a bonus.

Petela: Robert Valentin.

Valentin has gone the distance just once in victory, with seven submission wins and three knockouts. He stops Dusko Todorovic on Saturday and takes home the bonus.

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Pair this card with…

Petela: Gołąbki.

This Polish staple is one of the three greatest foods on the planet. With so many fighters on this card hailing from Poland and neighboring countries, it’s the perfect dish to complement the continued growth of mixed martial arts in the region.

Sumian: Hot chocolate.

This card takes place in Serbia, and while it’s summer, I still picture the country as being cold. Pair your morning with a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy a relatively solid fight card.