UFC Belgrade Is Official. The Doctor Comes Home for Serbia's First Event

The UFC has never been to Serbia. August 1st changes that. At Belgrade Arena. The promotion's first event in the country. And the main event is exactly what it should be. Uros "The Doctor" Medic (13-3, 7-3 UFC), the highest ranked Serbian fighter on the roster, headlining in front of his own people against Daniel Rodriguez (20-5, 10-4 UFC).

Both guys are on three fight win streaks. Both guys finish people. And one of them spent months in a Mexican jail because he had a joint in his car when he crossed the border lol.

But we'll get to that.

The Doctor

Medic was born in Novi Sad, Serbia on April 25, 1993. He started in kickboxing. Won the K-1 championship in Serbia. Medaled at the WAKO European Championships in Italy. Won multiple provincial titles across different kickboxing disciplines. The man was collecting belts in Serbia before MMA was even a real career path for fighters from that part of the world.

He studied Sports and Physical Education at the University of Novi Sad because he's actually an educated dude on top of being a fighter. Then he moved to the United States, landed in Anchorage, Alaska of all places, and started training MMA seriously. Ended up at Kings MMA and turned pro in 2016.

His UFC debut in March 2021 was a first round KO. Performance of the Night. Second fight? First round TKO. Performance of the Night again. Two fights, two finishes, two bonuses. The man walked into the UFC and started collecting checks immediately.

Then reality showed up. He lost three of his next five fights and the hype cooled off. Losses to Omar Morales, Jalin Turner, and Tim Means put him in that awkward spot where you're not getting cut but you're not getting pushed either. Just floating in the middle of the division hoping for a matchup that gets you back on track.

He found it. Won three straight, all knockouts. All in the first round. He beat Sean Soriano by KO. Beat Fares Ziam by KO. Then in February he knocked out Geoff Neal with a left hook that was so clean the UFC gave him another $100K Performance of the Night bonus.

Three fights. Three first round KOs. A ranked opponent in Neal. And a $100,000 bonus check. That's when Medic grabbed the mic and called out Leon Edwards. "Try to beat me." Like bro just KO'd a top 15 welterweight and immediately called out a former champion.

Trump on the Phone

Here's the detail that makes this whole story even wilder.

After the Neal KO at UFC Houston, Medic revealed that he'd been having immigration issues getting back into the United States. He's been living in the US legally for years but the paperwork was causing problems with his ability to travel freely. This is a real issue for international fighters who need to fly in and out of the country for fight camps and events.

So what happened? Dana White brought Medic into his office. And Dana had President Trump on speaker phone.

"Little do you know, I get back, with Dana White, I'm back in his office, and Dana's got President Trump on speaker phone," Medic told media after the fight. "And I'm just standing there, I could not believe what's happening. I'm talking to the President, he said 'you're good to go wherever you please, you can travel, just give Dana the documentation, the information that you need.' I'm just blown away."

The President of the United States personally intervened to fix a UFC fighter's travel documents. Whether you think that's awesome or ridiculous probably depends on your politics. But from Medic's perspective, the man who couldn't travel freely is now headlining his country's first ever UFC event. So it worked.

D-Rod and the Mexican Jail

Daniel Rodriguez is one of those fighters who just shows up and scraps. 20-5 record. 10-4 in the UFC. Ranked #15 at welterweight. Three fight win streak including a win over Kevin Holland in July 2025.

But the reason Rodriguez hasn't fought since that Holland win is one of those stories that could only happen in combat sports.

He spent months in a Mexican jail.

The reason? He crossed the border with a joint in his car. Just a joint bro. And Mexican authorities held him for it, for months. An active UFC fighter sitting in a jail cell in Mexico because of marijuana while the rest of the division was fighting and moving up the rankings without him.

Rodriguez has been open about the experience. He's not hiding from it. But the fact that a ranked UFC welterweight lost months of his career over something that's legal in most US states is honestly insane. He's back now. He's on a three fight streak. And he's apparently ready to fight because the UFC booked him for the first ever event in Serbia against the hometown guy who's been knocking everyone out.

Good luck with that crowd D-Rod.

What This Card Means for Serbia

Belgrade Arena on August 1 is going to be special regardless of the main event matchup. The UFC going to a country for the first time always produces a specific kind of energy. The fans are louder. The atmosphere is more intense. And when the hometown fighter walks out, it's going to sound like a soccer match in there.

Luka Nikolic, the President of the Serbian MMA Federation, said it publicly. "MMA has become a prestigious and officially recognised sport in Serbia, with our athletes earning the respect they deserve. By bringing UFC to Belgrade, we want to show the world how firmly Serbia stands behind the MMA community."

The card is also expected to feature Aleksandar Rakic, who's reportedly moving to heavyweight to face Marcin Tybura. And former UFC light heavyweight Johnny Walker might be on the card too, also moving up to heavyweight against Ante Delija. So the main card has some decent names on it beyond just the main event.

But this is Medic's night. The Serbian K-1 champion who moved to Alaska, got his immigration fixed by a phone call from the President, KO'd three straight opponents in round one, and is now coming home to headline in front of his country for the first time.

When the UFC asked him on their website about heroes, Medic said "there are people I admire, and as far as heroes the future me is my hero."

The future him is headlining in Belgrade on August 1. I think he'd be proud.

Thanks for riding with CageLore. Stay locked in!

Frequently Asked Questions

When is UFC Belgrade?

August 1, 2026 at Belgrade Arena in Serbia. It is the UFC's first ever event in Serbia. The card will air on Paramount+.

Who is Uros Medic?

Medic (13-3, 7-3 UFC) is the #13 ranked UFC welterweight and the highest ranked Serbian fighter on the roster. He is a former K-1 champion from Serbia who trains at Kings MMA and fights out of Anchorage, Alaska. He is on a three fight win streak with all three wins coming by first round knockout.

Who is Daniel Rodriguez?

Rodriguez (20-5, 10-4 UFC) is the #15 ranked welterweight on a three fight win streak. He hasn't fought since a July 2025 win over Kevin Holland. He spent several months in a Mexican jail after being arrested for crossing the border with marijuana in his car.

Did Trump really help Medic with his immigration?

Yes. After his KO of Geoff Neal at UFC Houston in February 2026, Medic revealed that Dana White had President Trump on speaker phone in his office to help resolve Medic's travel documentation issues. Trump told Medic he was "good to go wherever you please."

What else is on the card?

Aleksandar Rakic is expected to face Marcin Tybura in a heavyweight bout. Former UFC light heavyweight Johnny Walker is also reportedly moving to heavyweight to face Ante Delija. Jovan Leka vs Max Gimenis and Vlasto Cepo vs Gilbert Urbina are also on the card.